Seneca's Morals by Way of Abstract: To which is Added, a Discourse Under the ...

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B W U M e A%

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MORA L S

By way of

A EST R A C T.

Tq w^icb is added,

A P I S CO U R 5 B

Under .^e Title of an

AFT B K> T H O U G H T,

IP I I I ■ ■-- - - ' -' 1 , - -, ' ■ ■ -' - ■'- - - I II f^

ADORNED WITH CUTS.

^jfcH^^i^— ^^ ^ ■ II ' ii m ^wpill l i T t II • f m h ■ ■! ■ . siiiili | i III' 1 , 1 ■ n il" <i|i ii m m *

By;55r RO GJ^R t^ESTRA N G E, Knt.

» ■ ■■ » m

■WIH»aiiM>^a

L O N D d Ni

Printed for J. and R.Toksojt, A.Milxar, fi, Ba.l*
, l.ARp» W. Strahan* J, RiviNCTON, R. Baldwin^
L. Hawes, W. Clark and R. Colli ks, W.John*
STOK, and C. and R. Ware, mdcclxiv.

READER.

IT hMbeeoalongTimein my Thought to turn f/ntM
into EngUJb : But wbetber ai a Iranjlalitn, or aii
Abfiraa, wa8 the ^efiieti. A TranjUlim I perceive it
muftnotbe, ailatl, forreveralRearoni. Firll, it isaThing
already done to my Hand, and abore (ixiy Years llaail-
ing; though with ailittleCredit perhaps to the Author, "
u SatisTaitioD to the Reader. Secondly, There is agrest
deal in him, (hit is wholly foreign to my Uufiiiefs ; As
hb pbiloTophical Treatifes oF Mt'eori, Earthjuctn, .the
Original -of Riiit'i, federal frii-oloui Difputes belwiit
the Epcartara and the Slo'iih, Sec. to lay nothing of ihe
frequent Repetitions of the fame Thing again in oihcr
Words (wherein he very handfomcly excufes himfel.') hy
&ytng, '?Ajr A^ d.ti hut incukaie over and avtr lie /am:
CouvfiU, It lliofe that omr aad evtr tommit ihc '/amt
Fault! ) Thirdly, hi? Exceliensy confifti rafher in a
RhaiJoJy of divine and esrraordinary Hinii, anj Kcii-
tHs, ihan in any regnlaied Method of Difcourfc ; fo ih;it
to take him as he lies, and fo co go through with him,
were utterly inconftflent with the Or^^r nnd Un-vitf
which I propound ; my principal Defign being only lo
'digeft, and coiiimon-piace his Mcrah, in (ucfi Airi, that
■tty Man, upon Occafion, may know where to 6nJ thfm.
And I have kept mj-felf fo dofe lo this Propofitijr., that

TO THE READEJ^.

I have reduced ail his fcattered Ethics to their proper
Headi^ without any -Additions of my own, more than of
abfolute Neceffity for the tacking of them together*. Some
other Man in my Place woiild perhaps make you twenty
ApoJogies fbrhis Wantof Skill and Addrefs, in governing
thjs Affair; bat thefe are /az-wa/ and pedantic Fooleries \
as if any Man that firft takes himfelf for a Coxcomb ia
}s own Heart, would afterwards make himfelf one in Print
too* This AhflraS^ fuch as it is, you are extremely wel-
come to; and I am forry it is no better, both for your
Sakfs and my own : For if it were virritten up to the Spirit
of the Original^ it would be one of the mod valuable Pre»
fcnis that ever any private Man beftowed upon the Public :
An<l this too, even in the Judgment of both Parties^ as
well Chriftiaa as Heathen : Of which in its due Place.

Next to my choice of the Author ^ and of the SuhjeQ^
together wich the Manner of handling it, I have likewife
had fome Regard in this Publication, to the timing of it,
^nd to the Preference of thisTopic of Benefits above all
others, for the Ground-work of my Firft EiTay. We are
fallen into an Age of vain Philpfophy (as the holy ApolUe
calls it) ; and fo dcfperately over- run with DrolU and
Sceptics^ that there is hardly any Thing fo certain or fa
ikcred, that is not expofed to queftion, or Contempt.
Jnfomuch, that betwixt the Hypocrite and the Atheift^^
the very Foundations of Religion and good Manners are
j[haken, and the two Tables of the Decalogue da(hedto
Pieces, the one againft the other : The Laws of Govern-
ment are fubjedled to the Fancies of the Vulgar ; public
Authority to the private Paffions and Opinion of the
People ; and the fupernatural Moti«is of Grace cpnfound-
ed with the common Dilates of Nature. In this State
of Corruption, who fo fit as a good honeil ChriJ^ian^Pa^
garif for ^ ModersLtor Skmong Pagdft-Chrifiiafts ?

To pafs now from the general Scope of the whole Work,
to the particular Argument of the firft Part of it: I pitch-
ed upon the Theme of Benefits, Gratitude, and Ingrati-
utde to begin withal, as an Earned of the reft, and a
Ledure exprcfly calculated for the Unthankfulnefs of
fK«fe Times: The fouleft undoubtedly, and the moft
C3recrable of all others, fince the very Apoftacy of the
Asg^l'i : Nay, if I durft but fuppofe a Poffibility of Men y
16c ttoib damned Spirits^ that they m^ght ever be takea

TO T H E R E A D E R.

into Favour agairtj my Charity wojld hope even better iof
them, than we have found from fome of our Revoltersi
and that. they would fo behave themfclves, as noc to fncur
a fecond Forfeiture. And to carry the Reiemblunce
yet orte Point farther, they do botji of them agree in an
implacable Malice againft thofe of their Fellows that
keep their Stations. But, alas ! what could Ing atitud^
do, without Hypocfify, the infcparable Companion of it;
and, in EfFefl, the bolder, and the blacker Devil of the
two ? For Luciftf himfclf never had the Face to lift up
his Eyes to Heaven, and talk to the Alni^hty at the
familiar Rate of our pretended Patriots and Ze aloes ;
and at the fame time to make him Party to a Cheat, ix
Is not for nothing that the Holy Ghod has denoqnced fo
many Woes, and redoubled fo many Cautions agaioft
Hypocrites : plainly intimating at once, how dangerous
a Snare they are t ) Mankind, and no jeis odious to Coi
himfelf: Which is fi^^icienily d, -noted in the Force of
that dreadful £xpreni(<»!n, \^Andyo%r PottionJ/jalliu <with
hypocrites,"] You will find in the holy Scriptures (as I have
formerly obfcrved) that God has given the Grace of
Repentance to Perfccutors, Idolators, Murderers, Adul-
terers, l^c. But 1 am miAaken, if the whole Bible aflbrda
you any one In^ance of a converted Hypocrite.

To defcend now from Truth itfelf to our own Expe^
rience : Have wc not fecn, even in our Days, a m^ft pi-»
ous (and almoft faultlefs) Prince brought to the Scaf-
fold by h's own Subjeds ? The moid glorious Conftitudoii
upon the Face of the earth, both ecclefiaflical and civile
lorn to Pietes, and dilTolved? The happiefl People un-
.der the Sun enflaved? Our Temples facrilegioully pro-
'faned ; and a Licence, given to all forts of Herefy and
Outrage? and by whom but by a Race of Hypocrites,
who had nothing in their Mouths all the while, ^but.
The Fu'ity of the Go/pel \ the Honour of the KiHg\ and,
the Libert i of the People: Ailifted underhand with dc-
fimat6ry Papers, which were level ed at the King him-
fclf, through the Sides of his mod faithful Minifters ?
This Proje£i fuceeded fo w€ll againft one Govemmeut
that it is now again fet afoot againft another : and by
fome of the very Aftors too in that Tragedy^ and after
a moft gracious Pardon alfj; when Providence had la d
their Necks and their Fortunes at his Mojefty's Feet, it

A3

T D t H E R E A b E R,

IS a wonderful Thing, that Libels and Libellers, the moJl
InfamoQs of Pradtlces, and of Men ; the mod unmanly
fiieaking Methods, and Indruments of Mifchief; the
vtty Bane of human Society, and the Plague of all Go-
vernments : It » a wonderful Thihg ([ fay) that thcfe
•Engines and Engineers fhould ever find Credit enough in
the World, to engage a Party : But, it would be flill
snore wonderful if the fame Trick fhould pafs twice up- /
on the fame People, in the fame Age, and from the very
iame Imfojior}, This Contemplation has carried me
a litde out of my Way, but it has at length brought me
to my Text again ; for there is in the Bottom of "it, the
higheii Oppofition imaginable, of Ingratitude and Obli-
gation.

The Reader will in fome Meafure be able to judge by
this Tafte, what he is farther to expert : That is to fay>
fu to the Call of my Defign, and the Simplicity of the
Stile and Drtfs; for that will ftill be the fame; only ac-
companied with Variety of Matter. Whether it pieafcf
tire World or no, the Care is taken : And yet 1 could
wi(h that it might be as delightful to others upon the
Perufal, as it has been to me in the Speculation. Next
io the Goipel itfelf, 1 do look upon it as the mod ibve«
reign Remedy againft the Miftries of human Nature;
aha I have ever found it fo in all the Injuries and Dl{^
crefles of an unfortunate Life. You mav read more of
bim, if you pleafe, in the Appendix, which 1 have here
i^ibjoined to this Preface concerning the Authority of his
Writings, and the Circum dances of bis Life « as 1 kav«
cxtraflcd them out KXUffiuu

O F

SENECA'S WRITINGS.

IT appears that our Author had among the Ancients,
three profeHed Enemies, fn the ftrft Place Caligu/a,
who called his Writings, Sand without Lime ; alluding
to The Starts of his Fancy, and the Incoherence of his
Sentences. Bat SeMtca was never the worfe for the
Cenfiirc of a Perfon that propounded even the fuppreP-
fing of Hffmtr himfelf ; and of casing Firgii and Ltn/j^
out of all public Libraries. The next, was Faiiuj ; who
taflLs hiffl for bemg^too bold with the Eloquence of for-
tner Timesy and failing in that Point himfelf; and like-
wise foir being fo qneint and finical in his ExpreiBons :
Which Taeitnti Imputes, in partv ta the Freedom of his
own particolar Inclination, and partly to the Humour of
the Times. He is alfo charged by Fahhs as no profound
Phiiofopher; but with all this, he allows him to be a
Man very ftudiotts and learned ; of great Wit and la^
mention ; and well read in all Sorts of Literature ; a fe-
vere Reprover of Vice ; mod divinely fententious ; and
well worth the reading, if it were ohly for his Morals ;
adding, That if his Judgment had been anfwerable (o his
Wit, it bad been mtxrh the more for hia Reputation ; but
he wrote whatever came next ; fo that I would advife
the Reader {hys he) to diftinguiih where he himfelf did
not : For there are many Things in him, not only to be
approved, but admired ; and it was great Pity that he
that could do what he would, ihould not always make
the beft Choice. His third Adverfary is jgellius, who
falls upon him for his Stile, and a Kind of Tinkling in
Ilia Seateacety hut yet commends hina fer his Piety and

A*

TO THE READER.

good Counfels. On the other Side Columella calls hizit
a Man of excellent Wit and Learning; Pliny, the Prince
of Erudition ; Taciius gives hini the Character of a wife
Man, and a fit Tutor for a Prince : Dio reports him to
have been the greatcft Man of his Age.

Of thofe Pieces of his that are extant, we (hall not
«eed to give any particular Account : And of thofe that
are loft, we cannot, any farther than by Lights to them
^from tjther Authors ; as we find them cited much to his
Honour -y ai>d we may reafonably comjjute them to be
the greater Part of his Works. 1 hat he wrote TeveraJ
Poems in his Baniihment, may be gathered partly from
himfelf : but more expreGly oat of Tacitus^ who fays,
•' That he was reproached with his applying him felflo
** Poetry, after he faw that Nero took Pleafure in it, out
•* of a.J3cfign to curry Favour.** St. Jerow refers to a
Difcourfe of his concerning Matrimony! Laciantius
takes Notice of his Hidory, and his Books of Moralities:
St. Jugupne quotjs fome Paffages of his out of a Book of
Superitition : feme References we meet with, to. hii
Books of Exhortations. Fahius makes mention of his
Dialogues: And he himfelf fpeaks of a Treatife of hit
Own, concerning Earthquakes, wh'ch he \yrote in hii
Youth. But the Opinion of an epiflolary Correfpondence
that he had with St. Paul^ does not feem to have muck
Colour for it.

Some few Fragments however of thofe Books of his
that arc wanting, are yet prefervcd in the Writings of
other eminent Authors; fufficient to (hew the World
how great a Treafure they have loil, by the Excellency
i>f that little that is left.

SfiKECA, Jap La^ftantius, that was the fiiarpeft of all

n* * 1 fit the Stoicks, How great a Veneration has

Lib''' Cat be for the Almighty? As for Inftance s

/ .1. tf/. I. difcourfingof a violent Death: Do yott

not under/land, fays he, the Majeily, and the Authority

of your Judge \ He is the fuprcme Governor of Heavei)

and Earth, and the God of all your Gods; and it \%

upon him that all thofe Powers depend which we wor*

fhip for Deities. Moreo^er^ in hit Exhortations. This

.God, Jays-be^ when he laid the Foundations of the Uni-

\erfe, and entered upon the greateft and (he be& Work

TO THE READER.

ia NaturCy in the ordering of the Government of the
World ; thoagh he was himfelf all in all ; yet he Aibfti-
tated other fabordinate Miniftert* as the Servants of his.
Commands. Jnd hotu manjf. 9ibir Things dau this Heaihem
ffe^k of God^ Uke am of us?

1VHICH the acuti Seneca (fays LaSantius again)
faiv in his Exhortations. We, fyshe^ have ^'
our Dependence elfewhere, andihould look up ^^* ^''
to that Power, to which we are indebted for all that we
can pretend to that is good«

A|«o again> Seneca y^jr/ 'very nvil in his Morals i
They worOiip the Images of the Gods, » .• ^

fays he, kneel to them, and adore them ; ^'^- ^*' ^^f' ^*
they are hardly ever from them, either plying them with
OflTerings, or Sacrifices : And yet after all this Reverenoa
to the Image, they have no Regard at all to the Work*
nan that made it.

LACTANtrus agatJtm An Inve£live (fays Seneca is
his Exhortations, J is the Mailer- piece /., ^
ofmoftof ourPhilofophers; and if they ^f^'S-^f- »i*
fall upon the Subjedl of Avaiice, Lull, Ambition, they
lafh out into fuch Excefs of fiitternefs, as if raiiing
were a Mark of their Profeflion. They make me think
of Galley-pots in an Apothecary^s Shop, that Jiave Re^
|ne4ies without and Poifon within.

LACTANTIUS ftill. He that would how aU
Things^ lei him rtad Seneca ; the msft , ., ^
li<ve.j Befcriber of fubUc Vices, and Manr ' ^' ^''^' ^'
«rr/, and the fmnriefi Reprehender of them.

And again : Js Seneca has it in the Boeh of m^rai
Philcfopky : He is the brave Man, r .» ^ ^
whofe Splendor and Authority is the ^'^" °- ^^?-^7:
lead Part of his Greatn^fs ; that can look Death in the
Face, without Trouble, or Surprise ; who if his Body
were to be broken upon the Wheel, or melted Lead to
be poured down his Throat, would be Jefs concerned fair
the Pain itfelf, than for the Dignity of benring it.

LET no Man^ ikys LaSantius, think himfilf the /afer

4n his Wi<kednefsfr Want of a Wifnefs ; , ., . ^

yorGOD Js omni/cient ; and to him no^ ^'^- °- ^''"*- H.-

^hin^ can be a Secret. It is an admirable Sentence 4 hat

^neca concludf* his Exhortation 'witituL jGQD, fays h^,

Aj

TO THE READKIU

la a great, // imtrw not ^whkt) an fAcMnpteltenfibft
Power : It is to him diat we live \ aad to him, that We
nnft approve ourfelves. What does it avail im, thai oaf
Cofifcienoes are hidden from Men, when .oar Souls He
open to God ? What could a Cbr^imit b^^vi ffohen mtr^
$0 the prnfofi in this Oufsy thmn this 4i*vins Pagan f And
in the Beginning §f thi fame WORK^ fays Seneca, What
is it that we do ? To what End is it to (land contriving^
and to hide ourfelves ? We are under a Guard, and
there is no efcaping from our Keeper. One Man may
be parted firom another by Travel, Death, Sicknefs :
But there is no dividing us ^om ourfelves. It is to no
purpole to creep into a Comer where no Body (hall fee
us. Ridiculous Madnefs I Make it the Gaie that no
mortal Eye could find us out. He that has a Confcience»
give> Evidence agaiofthimfelf.

IT is truly and excellently fpoken •/ Seneca, fays
T-t ^' r* * « LaSantius once again 5 Confider, ^2^/
kfb. t. Lap. 15. ^^ ^j^^ Majefty, the Goodnefs and the.

venerable Mercies of the Almighty ; a Friend that is
always at hand. What Delight can it be to htm» the
Slaaghter oi innocent Creatures, or the Worlhip t)f
bloody Sacrifices? Let us purge our Minds, and lead
virtuous and hontft Lives. I^iis Pleafure lies not in the
Magnificence of Temples, made with Stone^ but in tht
piety and Devodon of confecrated Hearts.

JN the Book that Seneca lorete againfi Suferfiitietss^
•ix r" n • treating ef Images ^ fays St. Auflin, he
tL^r '^i^' ^"^^ 'T^^y rcprcfent the holyj

lib.O. Lap. 10. t)ie immortal, and the inviolable Gods,

in the bafeft Manner, and Without Life or Motion : In
the Forms of Men, Beads, Fifties ; feme of mixed Bo«-
^ies; and thofe Figures they call Deities ; which, if they
were but animated, would affright a Man and pafs for
Monflers. And then a little fat ther^ ttenting of natnreA
theology J after citing the Optniofis $f PhiUfophers^ he
fuppofes an OhjeSlion ogalnjl himfelf : Somebody WfH
perhaps aik me ; Would you have me then to believe
the Heavens, and -the Earth to be God*s ; and fome of
them above the Moon, and fome below it ? (hall I ever
be brought to the Opinion of Plate^ ox ti^ Strata the
XeripatMUc \ The one of which woold have {God KO'hk

TO THE READER.

t _

^without a Body» and the other without a Mind f 7f
•which he replies 9 And. do you give mord Credit thejgi
to the Dreams of T: Tatius, Romulus and Hoflilius, who
caufed, among other Deities, even Fear and Pa1encr& to
be worfhipped ? The vilell of human Affedions ; the-
one being the Motion of an affrighted Mi mi, and th«
other, not (b much the Difeafe, as the Colour of a difor-
dered Body. Are thefe the Deities that you will rather
put your Faivh. in, and place in the Heavens ? yfnJ /peak*
ing afterguard of their abominahh Cufiomsy nvith ichat
Liberty does he turite ? One, fays be, out of Zeal, makes,
himfelf an Eunuch; another lances his Arms : If this
be the Way to pleafe their Gods, what fhould a Man dp
if he had a Mind to anger them ? Or if this be the Way
to pleafe them, they do certainly deferve not to be vvor*
ihipped at all. What a Phrenzy is thi*, to imagine, that
the Gods can be delighted with fuch Cruelties, as even
the woffl of Men would make a .Confcience to inili<.^\ 1
The mod barbarous and notorious of Tyrants, fome of
them have perhaps done it themfclves, or ordered the
teaiing of Men to Pieces by others ; but they never went
fo far, as to command any Man to tormeot himfelf. Wc
have heard of thofe that have fulFered Caflration, to gra-
tify the Lull of their imperious Mailers ; but never any
Man chat was forced to ad it upon himfelf. I'hey mur«
der themfelves in their very Temples, and their Prayers
are offered up in Blood. Whofoevcr ihall but obferve
what they do, and what they fuffer, will find it fo mif^
becoming an honefl Man, (b unworthy of a free Man^ and
fo inconfiflent with the Ailion of a. Man in his Wits,
that he mud conclude them all to be mad, if it were not
that there are fa n>any of them ; for 6n\y their Number
is their Judificationvand their Pro^^ion.

When bee mes idrafle^, fays St. Augufine, upon
thofe PaiTages which he himfelf had feen in the Capi«
tol, he cenfures them with Liberty and Refolution:
And DO Man will believe that fuch Things would be
done, unlefs in Mockery, or Phrenzy What, Lamen-
tation io there in the Egyptian Sacrifices for the Loft
of OJirii I And then what Joy for the finding of hicn
** again ? Which hfe makes himfelf Sport with ; for in
** truth it is ail a Fidlion : and yet thofe People^ tliftt

A 6

n
it
«<
c<
f(
a
•I

TO THE READER.

•• neither loft any Thing, or. found any Thing, muft
" exprefc their Sorrows, and their Rejoicings, to the
*' highell Deeree :" But there is only a certain Time,
fayt hi, for this Freak, and once in a Vear People may
be allowed to be mad. I came into tjie Capitol, /ays
Seneca, where the feveral Deities had their feveral Ser-
vants and Attendants, their Liflors, their Dreflert, and
all in Pofture and Aflion, as if they were executing
their OfHces ; Ibme to hold the Glafs, others to comb
out JuiBi and Mintroa'i Hair; one to tell Jufiter
what o'Clnck it is ; fame Lajfei there are that fit gazing
upon the Image, and fancy Jupiiir has a Kindneis for
ihem. All ihefc Things, /ayi Seneca, a •u.-hilt efiir,
a wife Man will obferve for the Law's Sake, more than
for the Gods; and all ihis Rabble of Deities, uhich
the Superlliiion of many Ages has gathered together,
we are in fueh Manner to adore, as to confiifer the
Worlhip to be rather Matter of Cuftom, than of Coq.
fcience. Whereupon St. Juguflini obfervei, " That
" this illuHiriaLis Senator worshipped what he repro-
■! ved, afted what he dilliked, and adored wbat he
•' coademoed.**

S E N E C A's

LIFE and DEATH.

IT has been an ancient Cuftom, to record the A6lions
and the Writings oF eminent Men, with all theii*
Circumftahces ; ana it is but a Right that we awe to tha
Memory of oar famous Author. Seneca was, by Birth^
a Spaniard of Cordova (a Roman Colony of great Fam0
and Antiquity.) He was of the Family ofjnn-eus, of
the Order of Knights ; and the Father Lucius Annaue
Senecos was diftinguilhed from the Son, by the Name of
the Orater* His Mother^'s Name was Helvia, a Woman
of excellent Qoalrties. His Father came to Rome in the
Time of Jugu/ius ; and his Wife and Children foon fol-
lowed him, our Se/t{ca yet being in his Infancy. There
were three Brothers of them, and never a Sifter. Mar^
$us Annaut NovatvSi Lucius Annaus Seneca^ and Luciui
Ann^eus Mela, The firlt of theie changed his Nan\e for
Junius GaliiOf who adopted him ; to him it was that he
dedicated his Treatife of j^nger, whom he calls ffovaius
too ; and he alfo dedicated his Dircouries of a Happy
Life to his Brother Gal Ho. . The youngeft Brother
fAnnitus Mela) was Lucans F?ther. Seneca was about
twenty Years of Age in the j^t/? Tear o/JTiberius, when
the Jenfjs were expelled Rome, His Father trained hiixi
up. to Rhetoric^ but his Genius led him rather to Philo*
/ophy ; and he applied his Wit to Morality and Vtrtue^
He was a great Hearer of the celebrated Men of thofe
Times; as Attains, Sotion, Papi/ius, Fabl^inus, ^of when

lie makes often mention) and he was oiuch an Admirer
3

S B N E C A's

iilfo of DemtrtMs the Cym'€f whofe Coaveriatioo be had
afterwards ia the Court, and both at hoQie . alfo, and .
abroad, for they often travelled together. His Father
was not at all pleafed with his Haqiourof Philofophy^ but
forced him upon the Ltm^ sxA for a While he pra£li/ed
Pleading. " After which he would need put him upoa
fuhUc Employment : And he came firft to be ^deftar^
then Prator, and fome will have it that he was chofen
Omful\ but this i^ doubtfuL

SSNMCJ finding that he had ill Officer done hki at
Court, and that Nero's Favour began to cool ; he went
dircfily and refolutely to Nero with an Offer to refund
all that he had gotten. Which Nero wouid not fcceive ;
but, however, from that Time, he changed hisCouffeof
Life, received few Vifits, ihunned Company, went little
abroad ; liill pretending to be kept at home, either b/
Indifpoiition, or by his Study. Being Nero's Tutor and
Governor, all Things went well, fo h>ng as Nero followed
^is Counfcl. His two chief Favourites, were Burrbuj^
and ^eneea^ who were both of them excellent in their
Ways : Bu- rhusy in his Care of military Affairs, and
Severity of DifdpUne ; Seneca for his Vrecepts^ and gooi
Athvi e vci the iVjattcr of Eloquence^ and the Gentleneft
*f an bonefl Mind: Affifting one another in the flippery
Age of the Prince, (fays Tacitus) to invite him, by the
Allowance of lawful Fleafures, to the kjve of Virtu^
Seneca had two Wives ; the Name of the firft is not
mentioned ; his fecond was Paulinoy whom he often
fpeaks of with great Paffion. By the former he had his
Son Marcus.

In the firft Year of Claudius he was banifhed into Cor^
ficay when Julia the Daughter of Germanims was ac.
cufcd by h^efjalina of Adultery, and baniftied too \ Seneca
being charged as one of the Adulterers. A^tt a Matter
of eight Years, or upwards in Exile, he was called back,
and as much in Favour again as ever. His Eftate was
partly patrimonial, but the greateft Part of it was thi?
Bounty of his Prince. His Gardens, Villas, Lands, Pof^
ieftions, and inciedible Sums of Money, are agreed upon
at all Hands ; which drew an Envy upon him. Dio re--
ports him to have had 250,000/. Sterling at Iiitereft in
Britany alone, which he called in all at a Sum. Tha

LIFE and DEATH.

Court itfitlf could not Mng him to Fhrttery t tnd, for hb

Pietv, Sufaonffioa, and Viitae> the Praake of his wMe

Life witiiefie» Sat him. " Sb faeo. Jays it^ as the

«« Candle is taken away, my Wife, j^^ , , .,

«« that knowi my Coftom, lies iiU, ^' ^'^^^ ^^- 3^

<* withoat a^ Word i{>eaicing: And then doIrecoUeft

** ail that f have iaid, or done that Day, and take raywi

** ftif to Shrift* And why flioald I conceal, or rtlerv9

«* any Thing, or make any Scrapie of enaoinng into

«< fg^y Errors, when 1 can fay to myfelf, Do fo ao more-g

'* afid ftut this oace I wiil forgive thee?" And again;

What can be more pious, and feif- denying than diii Pah

foge, in one of his fipilllcs? " Believe v. -a; r

«• me now, when I tell you the very Bottom ^f'J^^^ 9^»

K* of my Sonl : In aM the Difficulties and CroCes of my

*i Life, this is my Coofideration ; iinccit is God s Will,

** I do not only obey, bat afZent to it ; nor do I comply;

«» Qfttt of Nectfltty, bat Inclination. ^

<< Kerb follows now, (ays Tacitus y the Death of Stra'^
** cuy to Niro*^ great SadsfadUon : Not fo much for any
'* pregnant Proof againft him, that he was of Pr/o'i
*f 'Confpiracy ; but AT^i^ was refolved to do that by t\t6
'< Sword, which he eould not c^ed by Poifon. * For it \%
** reported that Mr» bad corropted CUonicm (a Frcemaft
** of Senfta^^y) to give his Mailer Poifon, which did not
•* focceed: Whether that the Servant had difcovcred it
^' to his Mailer, or that S^mta by his own Caution and
'* Jealoofy'had avoided it; for he lived only upon a
** fimple Diet, as the Fraits of the Earth ; and his Drinit
** was moft commonly River-Water. *

«« NATAL IS, it ieemt, was fent upon a Vifit t6
<* him, (being indifpofed) with a Compliment, That lie
**• wonldnot let Pifo come at him ; and advifin^ him to
** the Continuance of their Fttendfhip and Acquaintance;
** as formerly. To whom $eMt<a made Anfwer, that
** frcqnent Meetings and Conferences betwixt them;
'* coald do neither of them any good ; hot that he had
•* a great -Intereft in Pi/o^% Welfare : Hereupon Granius
*' Syivauus a Captain of the Guard, was fent to examia6
"*' 5^ttfr^ upon the Difoourie that pafied hetwixrhim and
•*• Natalis^ and to Return his Anfwcr, Stneca, either b^
^''Chaiico> oroaPnrpofoy came that Day ftovkCtmptf*

.^ E N E C A^s

^* ma, to a Fii/a of his own, within foar Miles of the
** Citv ; and thither the OSictr went the next Evening,
** ana hefet the Place. He fQund Seneemzt Supper with
** his WikPauiina, and two of his Friends;' and gave
<^ him immediately an Account of his Commiffion. Se^
«* Mca told him, that it was trne, that Natatis had been
«< with him in Pifi's Name» with a Complaint, that Pifi
*' could not be admitted to fee him : and thatheexcnied
** himfelf by Reaibn of his Want of Health, and hit
<< Defire to be quiet and private; and that he had no
y Reafon to prefer another Man's Welfare before his
** own. Ca/ar himfelf, be/aid^ knew very well, that he
'* was not a Man of Compliment; having received more
" Proof? of his Freedom, than of his Flattery. This
« Anfwer of Stneca^s was- delivered to Ca/ar in the Pre*
•* fence of Popfaa and TigeUiuus^ the intimate Confi*
f< dents of this bs^rbarous Prince : and N€ro afked him>
. «* Whether he could gather .any Thing from Seneca, as
<« if he intended to make himfelf away ? The IVibuae's
** Anfwer was, That he did not £nd him one Jot moved
<< with the Mefiage : But that he went on roiindly with
*' his Tale, and never fomnch as changed Countenance
•* for the Matter. Go back to him then, fays Nero^ and
*< tell him, 7haa he is condemned n die, Fe^hius Ruflicui

V delivers it, That the Tjibune did not return the famo
<< Way he came, but went afide to Fenitu (a Captain of
f< that Name) and told him Ctr/«r's Orders, aiking his

f^ Advice, whether he fliould obey them> or not ; who
*< bade him by all Means do as he was ordered. Which
^ Want of Refplution was fatal to them all ; for Sil^a'-
•< nus alfo, that was one of the Confpirators, aOifted
^* now to ferve, and to increaie thofe Crimes, which he
f* had before complotted to revenge. And yet he did
f < not think fit to appear himfelf in the Buitnefs, but ient
f < a Centurion to Seneca to tell him his Doom. Seneca^
f* without any Surprize Or Diforder, calls for his Will ;
i* which being refufed him by the Officer, he turned to
** his Friends, and told them. That fince he was not
f < permitted to requite them, as they deferved, he was

V yet at ^Liberty to bequeath them the Thing of all
*^ others that he efleemed the moil, that is the Image of
1M his Life : Which ihoald give them the Reputatioa

LIFE and D E A T IT.

«
c<

4*
<<

ftC

both of Conftancy and Friend (hip, if they would
bat imkate it ; exhorting them to a firmnefs of Mind;
A>metiines by good Couniel, otherwhiles by Repre-
hention, as the OwCaiion required. Where, fays he,
is all yottr Philofbphy now ? - All your premeditated
Kefolutions againft the \'iolences of Fortune ? Is there
any Man fo ignorant of Nero^t Cruelty, as (o expert,
*< after the Murder of his Mother and Brother, that he
** (hould ever fpate the Life of his Governor and Tutor f
*' After fame general ExprefTions to this Fttrpbfe, he
*' took his Wife into his Arms, and having fomewhat
" fortified her againft the prefent Calamity, he befought '
and conjured her to moderate her Sorrows, and betake
her£:lf to the Contemplations and Comforts of a vir-
tuous Life ; . which would be a fair and an ampM
** Cofifolatioa to her for Che Lofs of her Hu/band. Pauii*
** na, on thes other Side, tells him her Determination to
'* bear him Company, and wills the Executioner to do
his Office. Well, fays Seneca^ if after the Sweetneft
of Life, as I have reprefented it to thee» thou had (I
rather entertain an honourable Death, ( (hall not envy
thy Example ; confulting at the fame Time, the Fame
•* of the Perfon he loved, and his own Tendernefs, for
Fear of the Injarirs that might attend her when. \it
was gone. Our Refolution, fays he, in this generous
Adl, may be equal, but thine will be the greater Re^
j^uutioo. Af er this, the Veins of bpth their Arms
** were opened at the fame Time. Seneca did not bleed
** fo freely, his Spirits being wafted with Age and a
*^ thin Diet ; fo that he was .forced to cut the Veins of
his Thighs and el(ewhfere, to haften his Difpatchi
When he was far fpenf, and almoii finking under his
** Torments, he d^fired his Wife to remove into another
*' Chamber, left the Agoniiss of the one might work
*< upon the Courage of the other. His Eloquence con«
*'' tinned to the.laft, as appears by the excellent Things
** he delivered at his Death, which being taken m ^
*' Writing, from his own Mouth,, and publifhed in his
, own Words, I (hall not prefume to deliver them in
any other. Ntro, in the mean Time, who had no
particular Spite to Paulina^ gave Orders to prevent
'•* her Deathi for fear his Cruelty (hould grow more and

CI

ct

4i

S E N E C A's LIFE, tSc

Ml
€4
€t

9*

more infupportable, and odious. Whereupon th^
Soldiers gave all Freedom and Encooragement toiitt
Servants to bind up her Woands, and ftop the Blood,
which thry did accordingly; biit whether Ae was
** ieniible of it or nor, is a Queltioa. For among th^
" conombn People, who are apt to judge the word, thertf
** ¥vere Come of Opinion, that as long as (he defpaired
^* of Nero's Mercy, (he feemed to court the Glory of
dying with her Hoiband for Company; but that
upon the likelihood of better Quarter, (he was pre-
** vailed upon to oot4ive him : And To for fbme Years
*^ file did furvive him, and with all Piety and Refped to
** hh Memory ; hat fo miferably pale and wan that
*< every Body might read the JLo& of her Blood and Spi-
V rhs in her very Countenance.
. « SIENBCJ, finding his Deatii flovr snd lingering,
^* defiles S^afi»s Anndtus (his old Friend and Pbyficran)
to give him a Dofe of Poifon, wiHcb he had provided
beforehatid, being the fame Preparation which was
^* appomfied for capital OiI«nder$ in AiBent, This waS
** brought him, and he drank it up, but to little Purpofe ;
h {oT his Body wa3 already chilled, and bbund trp a-
f « gainft the 'Force of it. He vwnt at laJl into a hot
** lath, and (priiiMin^g fome of Tils Senrants thai were
^* next to him. This, fays he, is an Oblatien ro Jupitir
** tire Dilivit^. The Fame of the B^th ibon difpatched
'< him^ and his Body was burftt, without afty fui^ral
*« Solemnity, as he had direAed in his Teilament t
*< thoogk this Will of his was made in the Height oi his
<• P^ofpcrity, and Power. There was a Rumour that
« Stdr/tts FJanjtusy in a private Confultation widi the
'< 'CeMuti»nsy had taken up this following R«fe!ution
<* (and that Simua himfelf was no Stranger to it) that \i
•' (o fay, itkit ilfter Nnd (hould have iKen fiain by the
«' hdp g( Pifi, Fi/o himfelf (hould have been killed
** too; and tte Emoire delivered up to Semc^^ as one
<< that well dderved iv» to his Integrity and Virtuf *

THE

CONTENTS.

Of BENEFITS.

Chap. I. (r\F Btntjkr iitgentral P«^ I

Chap. II. V } Several Sms cf Benefitt %

Ui Montr ■. ^ 4

Chap. IV. It U the iMetiihnt mt tit MotttTi that

makti tht Befufit %

Chap. V. There muft be Ju^meirt in a Benefit^ at

well at Matter, and Immttan, and efptdally intht

Choice ef the Perfon lo

Chap. VI. The Mater ef OhligatieKj, with its Cii*-

cumflatuet ii

Chap. VII. The Metmir gfOHmng . ifi

C\n^.\m. tie Difference and Vaki if Benefits zo
Chap. IX. Jn hantfl Men camitt St aut-dont in

Ccurtefy 24.

Chap. X. The^eJlimdifculJed^vAetherornaeMan

may give or rettema Benefit te httnfiif. zf

Chap. XI. Hw} far one Man may te oblige J fir a

Benefit dane to antther i^

Chap. Xn. The Bentfalltrmifft have no By^endi 31
Chap. XIII. There are many Cafu wherein a Min

may be mtndedofa Benefit, but it is very rare^tt be

sballertged, animvtr to be upbraidtd 33

CONTENTS.

Chap. XIV, How far to obUge^ or requite a wicked
Man Page 43

Chap, XV. A general View of the Farts and Duties
of the BenefaSlor 49

Chap. XVI. How the Receiver ought to behave hiw

Chz}^.XVll. Of Gratitude ' 58

Chap. XVIIL Gratitude mfflaken • ,6z

Chap. XIX. O/* Ingratitude , ^ 65

Chap. XX. There can be no Law again/! Ingrati^
tude ' 69

Of a HAPPY LIFE.

Chap. 1. t^^ o Happy Life^ and wherein it conf^s

VX ^ ^ Page 73

Chap. IT. Human Happinejs is founded uponlV^'dom^

and Virtue \ and firfi of Wifdom y6

Chap. III. There can be no Happinefs without Virtue

80

Chap. IV. Phihfopby is the Guide of Life S8

Chap. V. The Force of Precepts 96

. Chap. VI. .No Felicity like Peace ofConfcience ^ loj

Chap. VII. A- good man can never he miferable\ nor

a wicked Man happy \oj

Chap. Vni. The due Contemplation of divine Provt^

dence is the certain Cure of all Misfortunes / ' 1 1

Chap, IX. Of Levity of Mind^ and other Impediments

X of a happy Life ' \\f

Chap. X. Heihatfetsup his Re/lupon Contingencies^

Jhdll never be quiet 124

Chap. XL Afenfual Life is a miferabU Life 1 2^
Chap. XII. Avarice and Ambition are injatiable and

rejttefs 135

Chap. XIII. Hope and Fear are the Bane of human

Life ^ m

Chap. XIV. // is according to tbetrueorfalfe EJlimate

of Things, that we are happy or miferable 144

Chap. XV. The Blejfmgs of Temperance and Mode*-

ration 147

CONTENTS.

Chap. XVI. Conftancj of Mind gives a Man Repu--

tation^ and makes htm happy in defpite of all Mis*

fortunet ^ ^ Page 155

Cnap. XVII. Our Happinefs depends in a great Mea-

fure stbon the Choice of our Con^any 163

Ch^p. XVIII. The Blejftngs of Friendlhip 167

Chap. XIX. He that would he happy ^ muft take an

Account of his Tinu ' 1 7 1

Chap. XX. Happy is the Man that may chufe his oum

Bujinefs 177

Chap. XXI. The Contempt of Death makes all the

Mtferies of Life eafy to us ^ r83

Chap. XXII. Confolations againfi Deathy from the

Providence^ and NeceJJity of it 191

Chap. XXIII. Againjl immoderafe Sorroiu for the
. Death of Friends ^ ^ 196

Chap. XXIV. Confolations again/i Banijhmentj and

bodily Pain ^ ^ 201

Chap. XXV. Poverty to a wife Man^ is rather a

Biejing than a Misfortune 204

ff

Of ANGER.

Chap. L A NGER defcrited. It is again/l Na-

xV ^«^^> ^^« ^'^fy ^^ i^ found sn Man

P^ge 209
Chap. II. The Rife of Anger 212

Chap. III. Anger may he Jupprejfed 214

Chap. IV* // is a Jhort madnefsy and a deformed

Vue ^ 217

Chap. V. Ans;er is neither warrantable nor ufeful % 1 9
Chap. VI. jfnger in general^ with the Danger and

Effe^s of it . 227

Chap. VIL The ordinary Grounds and Occafmis of

Anger ^ , ^3^,

Chap. VIH. Advict in the Cafes of Contumely and

Revenge *4<

CONTENTS,

Chap. IX. Cautions agmnft Anger in the Matter of
Biucaiion^ Cowverjej and ower general Mfans of
preventing it^hofh in ot^rfelves ondMihirs Page 245

Chgp. X. jtgainfl raJB Judgment Z50

Chap. XL Take nothing ill fnm emother Matiy fintil
you have made it yjowr ovm Cafi 254

Chap. XII. 0/ Cr«#//y *5$

Of Cl^EMENCr a6i

EPISTLES.

Epift. I, f^Eriain general Direffions for the Go"

V-^ vernment of the Voice ; as in fp^aking

foft or loud^ auiik or flow : The Speech is the Index

of the Mina ^ Page 276^

Epift. II. Of Stiles'^ Compofltionsy and the Choice of
Words. That is the hefl Way of Writings and
Speaking^ which is free and naturah Advice con^
ternin^Keading ^ ^ 278

Epift. III. Againji all Sorts of Affectation in Dif
courfe^ Phantaftical Studies ; impertinent and un»
profitable Suhtilties. Maits Bufinefs is Virtue^ not
Words 282

Epift. IV. Bufinefs and want of Nnvs are no Ex^
cufe among Friends for not Writing, Wife Aden
are the better for one another. How far tVifdom
may be advanced by Precept ^ 287

Epift. V. Seneca gives^ an Account of himfelf Of

. his Studies^ and of his Inclinations : With many ex^
cellent RefieBiom upon the Duties^ and the Errors
of human Life 292

Epift. VI. The Blejfings of a virtuous RetiremenU
How wc come to the Knowledge of Virtue, A Dif
tinQion betwixt Good and Hpnefi. A wife Man
contents himfelf tvith his Lot 2gj

Epift. VII. Of impertinent Studies^ and impertinent
Men* Phtlofophers the heft Companions 302

CONTENTS.

Epift. VHL /fgainfi 5ingtdarity of Manneti and Be^
haviour Page 305

Epift. IX. The Bkffings of a vigorous Mind^ in a
decayed Bocfyy with fome pertinent ReJleSfions of
Seqeca. td>on his ^wn Age ^of

{)piil. X. Cu/bm is a great Matter^ either in good or
ill. We jfould check our PaJJions betimes, Invobin^
iary Motions are invincible 310

Epift. XL We are divided in our/elves \ and canfound
Good and Evil 313

Epift. XII. We are moved at the Novelty of T/jings^
for want of underjianding the Reafon dj^them 316

Epift. XIII. Every Man is the Artificer of his own
Fortune » Of juftice and Injuftice 3 1^

Epift. XIV. Of Truji in Friend/hip. Prayer^ and
bodily Exerctfe 321

Epift. XV. Tbe Danger of Flattery ; and in what
Cafes a Man may be allowed to commend himfelf 3 2 a

Epift. XVI. A general DUfolution of Manners \ with
a Cenfure of corrupt Mavijirates 326

Epift. XVII. The Uripnal of all Men is the fame ;
and Virtue is the onfy Nobility, There is a Tender^
nets due to Servants 320

Epift. XVIII. We are jufter to Men than to God.
Of Life and Death ; of Good and Evil . 332

Epift. XlX. Of true Courage 336

Epift. XX. // is never 'too Me to learn. The Advan^
tages of a private Life\ and the Slavery of a public.
The Ends of Pumjlmeni 3 39

Epift. XXI. The two Blejjin^s of Life are a found
Body and a quiet Mind. The Extravagance of the
Roman Luxury. The Moderation and Simplicity
of former Times 343

Epift. XXII. Man is compounded of Soul and Bod^ ;
and has naturHlly a civil War within himfelf. The
Difference betwixt a Life of Virtue^ and a Life of
' PUafure 347

Epift. XXin. We abufe God's Bleffmgs,, and turn them
into Mif chiefs. Meditations upon the Horrors of
Earthquakes^ and Confolations agairift them. Death
is. the fame Thing which Way foever it comes : Only
we art movsd by Accidents that^we are not ufed to 3 49

CONTENTS.

Epift. XXIV. A Difcourfe of God! s Providence, in

the Misfortunes of good Men in this ff^orld^ and in

the Prosperity of the Wicked Page 354

Epift. XaV. a wife and a good Man is a Proof a-

. gainft all Accidents of Fate , jco

Epift. XXVI. AU Things are Produced of Citufe and

Matter. Of Providence, A brave Man is a Match

for Fortune ^ ^ ^6z

Epift. XXVII. Some Traditions of the Ancients con^

. cerning Thunder and Lightning j with the Author's

Contemplations thereupon 365

Epift. XXVIII. A Contemplation of Heaven^ and

heavenly Things* Of God\ and of the Soul ^,6%

Poffcript ^ ' 373

An After-thouglt 375

V

SENECA

■-■OF

BENEFIT S.

C H A p. I.

Of Bemfiti in geturaU

rrhaps, one of the moA.perjiicious Errors of

and incMfideiaie Lifej the common Igno-

)'f,[he W6/!d ia the M^i*=r of exchanging

r. A'ad ihis arifes from a Miftake, panly

Ferfon that we would oblige, and parti}' ia

rlf. To begin with the latter; A Btntfit is

Jcnt ivi/i hletilion and "Judgnunl ; tliat is

to fay, w.ith a- due Regard to all ihc Circunilantes o^

•uibatj-hotM, 'ujhjf ttihtn, ii/htrt, 10 inborn, hetv much,

and ijie like. Or otiierwife ; It is a -volutiia:) ami bme-

wkki-jaien that dtlighls tht Givtr, in ibi comfort it

Brings le the JtittiMcr, It will lie hard to draw this Sub-

jeft, either into Method or Compafs ; ihc one, bccaufe

of the infinite Variety and Complication of Cafes; the

c[her,.byreafoQ of the large Extent of it: For the -vhole

z SENECA. Chap.L

Biifinefs' (aimed) of Mankind in Society, falls under this
Head : The Duties of Kings, and Subjects ; Huibands,
and Wires ; Parents, and Children ; Matters, and Ser-
vants ; Natives, and Strangers ; high, and low ; rich,,
and poor ; ibong^ and weak ; Friends, and Enemies.
The very Meditation of it breeds good Blood, and geue-
Tons Thoughts ; and inftwds ufr in all the Parts of Ho-
nour,^ Humanity, Friendlhip, Piety, Gratitude, Pru-
dence, and juilice. In ihort, the Art and Skill of con-
ferring Benefits, is, of all human Duties, the moil abfo-
lutely neceflary to the Well-being beth of reafonable
Nature, and of every Individual ; aa the very Cement
of all Communities, and the Bleiiing of Particulars. He
that does good to another > Man, does alfo good tt) him-
felf ; not only in the Coniequence, but in the very A6k
of doing it : For the Confcience of Well-doing is aa
ample Reward.

Of Benefits in general, there arc fevieral Sorts ; as •

♦ p /:/ ^^^^jr^'y* profitabky and delightful. Some

mi 6 It '^'^»"gs there are, without which we can^

bldd ' ^^^ ^*^® • others, without which ^t ought

rt ?"/ ^" "*' ^° ^^^^ » ^^^ ^°"^ ^g^^° without which

^^ir^y«'- we W/ not iive. In the firft Rank arc

thofe, which deliver us from capital Dangers, or Ap-
prehenfioDs of Death : And the Favour is rated accord-
ing to the Hazard; for the greater the Extremity, the
greater (bems the Obligation. The next is the Cafe
wherein we may indeed live, but we had better die:
As in the Qu^ttion of Liberty, Modefly, and a good
Confcience. In the third Place follow thofe Tbipgs
wJiich Cuftom, Ufe, Affinity, and Acquaintance, have
made dear to us ; as Hufbands, Wives, Children, Friends,
Iffc. which an honeft Man will prefcrve at his utmofl
Peril : Of things profitable there is a large Field ; as
Money, Honour, &c, to which might be added Mat-
ters of Superfluity and Pleafure. But we fhall open a
Way to the Circumftances of a Benefit, by fome previ-
ous and more general Deliberations upon the Thing
itfelf. 3

Oap.lL Of BENEFITS. 3

CHAP. IL
Several Sorts of Beiufiis.

TT7E (hall divide Benefits into Abfi>lute and * Vulgar ;
yV the one, appertaimog to good Life; . benefits ab.
the other is only Matter of: Commerce. >. . ^ / 7
The former are the moie excellent, be.>^«f^^«^^*^
caufe they can never be made void; wheie- ^^^*
as all material Benefits are tofftd back, and foreward,
and change their Mafter. There su-e fome Offices that
look like, fienefits, but are only deiirable Conveniencies,
as Wei^th, ^a and thefe a wiqke^f Man may receive
from a good» or a good Man from an Evil. Others
again that bear the Face of Injuries, which are only Be-
nefits ill-taken; as Cutting; Lancing, Burning, under
the Hand of a Surgeon. The greateft Beaefits of all,
are thofe of a good Education, which we receive from
our Parents, either in the State of Ignorance, or fcr^
verfenefs, as their Care and Tendernefs in our Infancy ;
their DifcipHne in our Chil4hood, to keep, us to our
Dutiea 1^ Fear; an4* if fair Means will not do, their
proceeding afterwards to Severity, and Punifliment,
without which we (hould never have come to good.
There are matters of great Value many Times, that are
but of fmall Price ; as Inihuftions from a Tutor, Medi-
cines from a Phyfician, ^c. And there are fmall Mat-
ters again, which are of great Confideration to us : The
Gift may be fmall, and fhe Confequence great j as jl
Cup of cold Water in a Thne of Need may fave a Man's
Life : Some Things are of -great Moment to the Giver ;
others to the Receiver : One Man gives me a Houfe ;
another fnatches me out, when it is falling upon my.
Head : One gives me an Eftate ; another takes me out
of the Fire, or cafts me. out a Rope when^ I am /inking :
Some good Offite? we do to Friends T oth^s to Stran-
gers ; but, khofe are tbe noblcft that we db without pre-
defert. Thm is an Qbiigatibn of Bounty ; and an Ob-
ligation of Chafity: This, incafeofNeceflity ; and that,
in l^tnt of Convenience. Some Benefits ^re common ;
ochers arc j>erf6nah As if a Prince ^out of pure GVacc)

B ^

^ I

4 SENECA Chap.Iir.

frant a Privilege to a City^ the Obligation lies upon the
Community ; al:id ot^y upon every individual, as a Part
of the whole : but if it be done particularly for my Sake,
then am 1 fingly the Debtor for it. The cherifhing of
Strangers is one of the Duties of Hofpitalicy ; and exer-
cifes itfelf in the Relief and Proteflion of the DiftreiTed.
There are Benefits of good Counfel, Reputation, Life,
Fortunei Liberty, Health ; nay, and Superfluity, and
Fleafure. One Man obliges me out of his Pocket :
another gives mc Matter of Ornament and CurioHty :
a third Confolation. To fay nothing of negative Bene-
fits ; for there are that reckon it an Obligation if they
do a Body no Hurt ; and place it to Accompt, as if they
faved a Man* when they do not undo him. To (hut up
all in one Word ; as Benevolence is the moft (bciable of
all Virtues, fo it is of the largeft Extent ; for there is
not any Man either (o great, or fo little; but he is, yet
capable of giving and of receiving Benefits.

CHAP. ra.

jf Son may Mige his Father^ and am Servant his

Majier,

THE Queftlon is (in the firft Place) Whether it may
not be poiCble for a Father to owe more to a Son
in other Refpefls, than a Son owes to his Father for his
Being ? That many Sons are both greater and better
than their Fathers* there is, no Quemon; as there are
many other Things that derive their Beings from others, •
which' ye;t are far greater than their Original. Is not xhp
Tree larger than the Seed ? The River than the Foun-
tain ? l*he Foundation of all Things lies hid, and the
Superflrudlure obfcures it. If I owe all to my Father,,
becauie he gives me Life^ I may owe as much to a Phy-
fician that fayed ,hi$ Life ; for if my Father bad not been
cured, 1 had never been begotten : Or, if I ftaad in-
debted for all that I am, to my Beginning ; my Ac-
knowledgment muil run back to the very Original of* all
human Beings. My Father gave me the Benefit of Life,
which he had never done, if his Father had not firft

Chap. III. Of B E N E P I T S. 5

given it to him. He gave me life, not knowing to whom,
and when I was in a Condition, neither to feel Death»
nor to fear it. That is the great BenelKt^ to give Life
to one that knows how to ufe it ; and that is capable of
the Appreheniions of Death. It is true, that without
a Father lT:oald never have had a Being ; and fo witlr-
oat a Nnrie that Being had never been improved ; but
J do not therefore owe my Virtqe either to my Nativity,
or to her that gave me fack. The Generation of me
was the leaft Part of the Benefit : For, to live is common
with Brutes, but, to live well is the main BuAnefs ; and
that Virtue is all my own, faving what I drew from
my £d location. It does not follow that the Jirfi Benefit
mud be the greateft^ becaufe without the firily the
greateft could never have been. The Father gives life
to the Son but once ; but if the Son fave the Father^s
Life often, tho' he do but his Duty, it is yet a greater
Benefit. And again, the Benefit that a Man receives is
the greater, the more he needs it \ but the Living has
more need of Life than he that is not yet born : fo that
th^ Father receives a greater Benefit in the Continuance
of his Life, than the Son in the Beginning of it. What
if a Son deliver his Father from the Rack; or, which
is more, lay himfelf down in his Place ? The giving of
him a Being, was but the Office of a' Father ; a Ample
A61 ; a Benefit given at a Venture ; befide that he had
a Participant in it, and a Regard to his Family. He
gave only a fingle Life, and he rec€i4ed 'a happy one.
My Mother brought lAe into the World naked, expofed,
and void of Reafon ; but my Reputation and my For-
tune are advanced b^ my Virtue, ^ctpio (as yet in hiff
Minority) refcoed his Father in a Battle with Hannibal i
and afterwards from the Pra6kices and Profecntion of a
powerful Fa6^ion ; covering him with Confulary Ho-
nours, and the Spoils of public Enemies. He made
himfelf as eminent for his Moderation, as for his Piefy>
and military Knowledge : He was the Defender, and
Efbbliiher of his Country : He lefc the Empire without
a Competitor ; and made himfelf as well the Ornament
of Rome t as the Security of it. And did not Scipio in all
chi$» more than requite a Father barely for begetting of
* him ? W^»»^r did Ancbifes more for Mneaiy in dand-y

6 , S E N E C A Chap. IIT*

ling the Child in his Arms ; or JEneas for his Ffttber»
when be carried him upon his Back through the Flames
of TV^y and made his Name famous to future Agea,
«mong the Founders of the Ronton Ewpirt? T* Manlius
was the Son of a fourand imperious Father^ who baniOi-
ed him hij Houfe as a Blockhead, and a ScHndal to his
tFamily : This Manliusy hearing that his Father's Life
was in Qneiiion, and a Pay fet for his Trial, went to
the Tribune that was concerned in his Caafe, and dii^
courfed him about it : The Tribune told him the ^^
pointed Time, and withal (as an Obligation opon the
young Man) that his Cruelty to his Son would be Part
i}f his Accufation : Manlius upon this Cakes the Tribone
aiide, and preienting a Poinard to his Bread, S<wiar^
fays he. That you .<vuiil let this Cmtfe fedh or j9u jShali
ha*ue this Dagger in the Heart of y^u ; and «mv // is at
yaur Choice^ ijohich Way you nmll deliver my Father, The
Tribune fvvore, and k-ept his Word, and made a fair Rew
port of the whole lyiatter to the Council He that
makes himfelf famous by his Eloquence, JuAice, or Arms^
illuftrates his ExtfafUoa let it be never ib mean.; and
gives ineftimable Hepiltatian to his j^arents. .We fhcuild
sever/ have heard of Spphroni/cw^ i>uc for bis Son Spcra'*
"^es i nor ciiirioflo and Gtyllusj if it had tiot been for
Xenophon and Plato^

Th is is not to difibofmtenancethe Veneration we otve
to < Parents; ; nOr to pMkeChildpcn the worfe, but^ie
letter.; and tb itir up geneious Emuht^Dns : Foc^ in
Conteils of good Ofices, both Parties arb happy ; as
well the vanquiAied. as thofe thdt overcome. It is .the
only honourable Difpute that.cananrive betwixt a Father
and a Son, which of the two ihall have the better of the
o;her in the Point of Benefits.

i N the Qjieftiofi betwixt a Mafter and a Servant ; we
* A Se i >"^^>^^A£^^ betwixt * Benefits, Da<»
•• IV U' ****> and AAions miniftcrial. -By Ben^
Ma^tr^' ^^ undcrftand thofc good Offices diat we

^ * receive from Strangers, which are volun<«

tary, and may be forborne without Blame. Duties are
the Parts of a Son, and Wife ; and incumbent t:^dQ
Kindred and Relations. OJiees mmfierial belong to the
Part of a Servant. 'Now, fince it is the Mindf and xiot

Chap. m. Of B E N E F I T S. j

the Condition^ ofthePcrfon, that prints the Valae upon
the Benefit, a Servant ma^ oblige his Mafter, and {o
may a Subje£l his Sovereign, or a common Soldier his
^General, b^ doing more than he is exprefsly boulid to
^o. Some things there are, which the Law neither co&i-
mands; nor forbids ; and here the Servant is free, k
'wouM be very hard for a Servant to be choftHed for do-«
ing lefs than his Duty, and not thanked for it when he
does more. His Body, it is true, is his Maker's, bat
his Mind is his own : And there are many Commands
which a Servant ought no more to obey, than a Mafter
to impofe. There is no Man fo great, but he may both
need the Help and Service, and ftand in fear of the
fower and Unkindncfs, even of the meaneft of Mortals.
One Servant kills his Mafter ; another faves him, nay,
preferves his iMafter's Life, perhaps, with the Lofs if
his own : He^xpoTe-s him (elf to Torment and Deaths
he Hands firm againll all Threats and Batteries : Which
is not only a BeneEt in a'Servant, but much the greater
for his beidig fo.

When Domitius wa% befie^ed at CorJingum,^nd the
Place brought. to great Extremity; he prefTed his Servant
fo eameftiy to poifon him, that at lad he was prevail^
upon to give him a Potion ; which, it ieem9, was an in*
nocent Opiate, and 2>^««Vi»/ out-lived it : Ca/ar took the
Town, and gave Domtiius his Life, but it was his Sei*
<vant that gave it him firft.

There was another Town beiieged, and when it was
upon the laft Pinch, two Servants made their Efcape, and
went over to the Enemy: Upon the Romans entering the
Town, and in the Heat of the Soldiers Fury, thefe two
Pellows ran diredlly home, took theirlMiftrefi put of her
Houie, and drave her before them, telling every Body
how birbaroufly (he had ufed them formerly, and th^t
they would now have their Revenge : when the/had her
without the Gates, they kept her clofe till the Danger
was over j by which Means they gave their Miftrefs Set
life, and (he gave them their Freedom. This was not
the AAton of a fervile Mind to do fo glorious a Thing,
tinder the Appearance of (b great a Villany : for if th^
had not palTed for Deferters, and Parricides, they could
aot have gaiaed tfaeii: End.

2-4

«, SENECA Chap, IV.

' WiTti one Inftance mott (and that a very brave one)
I fhall conclude this Chapter.

Tn the civil Wars of Rome, a Party coming to iearch
for a Per (on of Quality that was profcribed* a Servant
pot on his Mailer's Cloaths, and delivered hinvfelf up to
the Soldiers as the Mailer of the Hoiife, be was taken
into Cuilody, and put to death without diicovering the
Miilake. W-hat could be more glorious than for a Ser-
vant to die for his Maflei, in that Age, when there were
not many Servants that would not betray their Maders ?
So generous a Tendersefs in a public Cruelty ; To invin-
cible a Faith in a general Corruption f What could be
more glorious, 1 fay, than fo exalted a Virtue as, rather
€0 chufe Death for the Reward of his Fidelity, than the
greateft Advantages he might otherwife have had for the
Violation of it?

CHAP. IV.

It i$ the Intmiioriy not the Matter y that makes the

Benefit.

•

THE gttod TFiU of the^Benefadlor is the Foontain of
all Benefits ; nay, it i» the Benefit itfelf ; or, ac
lead," the Stamp that makei it valuable and current.
Some there are, 1 know, that take the Matter for the
Bemfty and tax the Obligation by Weight and Meafure.
When any Thing is given ihcm, they prcfently call it
up, IFhat mayjuch a Hou/e be lAJorth ? Such an Office?
Such an Eftate? As if that were the Benefit, which is
only the Sign and Mark of it : For the Obligation xt^%
in the Af/W, not in the Matter ; and all thofe Advan-^
tages which we iee, handle, or hold in a6lual PofTeiHon
by the Courtefy of another, are but feveral Modes, or
Ways of explaining, and putting the good Will in £xe«
cut ion. There needs no greater Subcilty, to prove»
.that both Benefits and Injuries receive their Value from
the Intention^ when even Brutes themfelves are able to
decide this Quedion. Tread upon a Dog by Chance, or
put him to Pain upon the DreiCng of a Wound ; the
one he paiTes by as an Accident ; and the other, in his
Taihion^ he acknowledges as a Kiodnefs \ but ofier ta

Chap.IV. Of B E N E F I T S. 9

ftiike at hiin» thongh you do him no Hurt at ally he ities
yet in the Face of you, even for the Mifchief that you
barely meant him.

It is further to be observed, that all * Benefits are
good ; and (like the Diftribtttione of Pro- , ... ^ />.
vidence) made up of Wifdom and Bounty ; ^^^ ^^^J"^^
whereas the Gift itfelf is neither good nor ^^^ &^^^*
bad> but may be indifferently applied either to the one
Qt the other. The Benefit is immortal, the Gift perifh-
able : For, the Benefit itfelf continues, when we have no
longer either the Ufe or the Matter of it. He that is
dead, was alive; he that has loH his Eyes, did fee ; and
whatfbever is done, cannot be rendered undone. My
Friend (for Inflance) is taken by Pyrates; I redeem him;
and, after that, he falls into other Pyrates Hands ; his
Obligation to me is the iame fUll, as if he had preferved
his Freedom. . And (b, if I fave a Man from any one
Misfortune, and he falls into another ; if I give him a
Sum of Money, which is afterwards taken away by
Thieves ; it comes to the fame Cafe. Fortune may de-
prive us of the Matter of a Benefit, bu- the Benefit itfelf
remains inviolable. If the Benefit reiided in the Matter,
that which is good for one Man woukl be ib lor another ;
whereas many times the very fame Thing given to diife-
lent Peribns, works contrary Effects ; eves to the Dif-
ference of Life, or Death ^ and that which is one Body '9
Core, proves another Body's Poifonv Befide that the
timing of it alters the Value ; and, a Cruft of Bread,, upon
a Pinch, is a greater Preient than an imperial Crown.
What is mDre tamiliar, than-in a Bauie^ to fhoot at an
Enemy and kill a Friend ? or, ioHead of a Friend, to
fave an Enemy ? But yet this DifappointoMnt in the
Events does not at all operate upon the Intention. What
if a Man cupes me o^' a Wen, with a Stroke that was
defigned to cot off my Head r Or, with a maliciou*
Blow upon the Stomach, breaks an ImpoAhumc r Or,
what if he fave va^ Life, with a Draught that was pre*
pared to poifon me f The Providence of the liTue dees
not at alldifcharge the Obiiqwty of the Intent. And
the fame Reafon holds good even in Religion itfelf : I(
is not the-lncenfe, or the OfFcring that is acceptable
to God, but the Purity and Devotion of the Wor-

^5

ro SENECA Chap. V,

ihipper. Neither is the bare Will, without Adion, (uf-
ilcient ; that is, where we have the Means of Adding ;
for, in that Cafe, it jignifies as little to mti/b well, with^
out well-doing, as*to do good without filling it. Tkere
mud be EiFe^, as well -as Intention, to make me owe«
Benefit ; but, to will againft it, does wholly difcharge
it. In fine, the Confcience alone is the Judge, both of
Benefits and Injaries. -

It does not follow now, becauie the Benefit rdli^ In
• cTL jjjtrii ^he • good Will, that therefore the ^ood

mgood Will ^.j, ^^^,^ ^^ ^j^^y^ ^ g^^^g^ . ^^^ .^

««;/ be accom- .^ y^^ ^^^ accompanied with Government
pamed ^ivitb ^^^ Difcretion. thofe Offices which we
Judgment, ^^jj Benefits, are but the Works of P*f-

fion, or of Chance ; and, many Times the greateft of
all Injuries. One Man does me good by Miftake, ano«
ther ignorantly, a third upon Force, but none of theiis
Cafes ^0 I take to be an Obligation, for they were nei*
ther directed to me, nor was there any Kindnefsof In-
tention : We do not thamk the Seas for the Advantages
we receive by Navigation, or the RitieM for fopplying us
wkh Fi(h, and flowing of our Grounds ; we do not thank
the Trees eidier for tneir Fruits or Shades, or the Winds
for a fair Gale : And what is the Difference betwixt a
reafonable Creature, that does not know, and an iaani*
jnate, that cannot ? A good Hotfe feves one Man'sl<ife,
a good Suit of jiSrms another's, and a Man^ perhaps, that
never intended it, faves a third. Where i% the Difference
now betwixt the Obligation of one, and of the other ?
A Man falls into a River, and the Fright cures him of
an Ague ; we may call this a kind of Jucky Mifchance»
but not a Remedy. And fo it is with the Good v^ re*
ceivcj either without or befide, or contrary to Intention.
It is the Mind, and not the Event that difliaguifhes a
Benefit from an Injury.

C H A P. V.

^ere muft he a^udgmeni in a Benefit as well es Matter
imd Intention ; and ejpecially in tke Choice cfthePerfon.

AS it is the JFijI that defigns the Benefit, and the Mat^
fer that conveys it> (b it is the Judgment that pec-

Chap. V. C^ » E N E F r T S. \x

feQs it ; which depends upon fi> many critical Niceties^
that the kaft Error, either in the Perfoiii the Matter,
the Manner, the C^ality, the Qaantityy the Time^ of
the Place, (poik all.

Thb Confideration of the Ferfin is a ^ main Point ^
for, we are to give by Choice, and not by ^ ^, p^ . -
Hazard. My Inclination bids me oblige , p r' .*^
dnc Man ; I am bound in Duty and Juf- ' - p*-*!
tice, to ierve another ; here it is Chanty,
there it is Pity ; and elfewhere, perhaps. Encouragement*
There are feme that want, to whom I would not give,
becaufe, if I did, they would want flili. To one Man I
%vould barely offer a Benefit, but I would prefs it upoft
another. To fay the truth, we do not employ any Mo»
Hey to more Profit, than that which we beftow ; and it
is not to our Friends, our Acquaintances, or Country
men, nor to this or that Condition of Men, that we are
to regain our Bounties, but where(bevcr there is a Man»
there is a Place and Occafion for a Benefit. We ^ive
to fame that are good already, to others in ^ope to tnalee
them fo, but we mnft do all with Difcfction : For, we
are as well anfwerable for what we give, as fer what we
receive. Nay, the mifplacing of a Benefit is worfe than
the not receiving of it ; for the one is another Man*d
Fault, but the other is mine. The Error of the Giver
does oft-times excufe the Ingratitude of the Receiver ^
lor a Fa vo u r -iH-placed, i s r at her a -Pfofufion-than a Be-
nefit. It is the mod (hameful of Lofles, an inconfiderate
Bounty. I will cKufea Man. of Integrity, iincere, con*
fiderate, grateful, temperate, well-natured, neither co*
vetous, nor fordid : And when I have obliged fuch;a
Man, though not worth a Groat in the world, 1 have
gained my End. If we give, only to receive, wclofc
the faireft Objeds for our Charity, the anient, the ficK,
the captive, the needy. When we oblige thofe th;fe
can never pay us agiin in kind, as a Stranger upon his
laft Farewel, or a neceflitous Perfon upon His Deaih-hed>
we make Providence our Debtor, and rejoice in the Con-
fcience even of a fruidefs Benefit. So long as we arc
•ffeded with Pafl}ons, and diftracled with Hopes and
Fears, and (the moft unmanly of all Vices^ witli our Plea-
iciC8, we arc incompetent Jutlges, where to f lace our

& 6

It SENECA Chap.VL

Bounties. Bat when Death prefents itfelf, andthat we
come to our lad Will and Teilanent, we leave our For-
tunes to the moA worthy. He that gives nothing, but
in Hopes of receiving:, muft die inteftate. It is the Ho*
jnefly of another Man's Mind that moves the Kindnefs of
mine : and I would fooner oblige a grateful Man, than
an ungrateful : Bat this (hall not hinder me from doing
good alfo to a Perfon that is known to }>e ungrateful :
Only with this DifFerence, that I will ferve the one in all
Extremities with my Life and Fortune ; and the other
no further than ibnds with my Convenience. But what
ihall I do, yon will fay, to know whether a Man will be

frateful, or no ^ I .will follow Probability, and hope the
eft. He that (bws^ is not Aire to reap, nor the Seamaa
to reach his Port, nor the Soldier to win the Field : He
that weds is not fore that his Wife ihall be hoocft, or
ills Children dutiful : But fhall we therefore neither fow,
fail, bear Arms, nor marry ? Nay, If I knew a Man to be
incurably thankleft, I would yet be fo kind as to put hita
in his Way» or let him light a Candle at mine, or draw
Water at my WeU, which may iland him perhaps in
great (lead, and yet not be reckoned as a Benefit from
<ne, for I do it carelefsly» and not for his Sake, but my
own, as an Office of Humanity, without any Choice or
Kindnefs.

CHAP. VL
77;e Matter sf Ohligatkns^j with its Cinumjidnces^

NEXT to the Choice of the Peribn, follows that of
the Matter, wherein a Regard mnft be had to
Time, Place, Proportion, Quality, and to the very Nicks
of Opportunity and Humour. One Man values his Peace
above his Honour, another his Honour above his Safety ;
and not a few there are, that (provided they may fave
their Bodies) never care what becomes of their Souls.
So that good OfHces depend much upon Conflrudlion.
Some uke themfelves to be obliged, when they are not^

Chip. VL Of B E N E F I T S. 13

others will not believe it, when they are, and fome a*
gain take Obligations and Injories, the one for the
other.
For our better DirefUon let it be noted. That* a Be-

the Rules of Difcretion ; for all Things ^'^fl ^1"^^
have their Bounds, andMeafures, and To **^^^^^'^<'"*
muil Liberality among the reft, that it be neither too
Inoch for the ond, nor too little for the other ; the £x*
cefi being every jot as bad as the Defeat. Alexander be-
flowed a City upon one of his Favourites, who modeAly
excu£ng himfelf, ^bat it ivas too much for him to recei'vi :
IVellf hut^ fays Alexander, // is not too much for me tO'
gi've: A haughty, certainly, and an imprudent Speech f
for that which was not fit for the one to take, could not be-
fit for the other to give. It pafles in the World for
Gceatnefs of Mind,to be'perpetually giving and loading of
People with Bounties : But, it is one Thing to know how
to give, and apother Thing not to know how to keep.
Give me a Heart that is eafy and open, but 1 will have
no Holes in it; let it be bountiful with Judgment, but
1 will h%^e nothing run out of it 1 kno^ not how. How
much greater was he that refufed the City, than the other •
that offered it ? Some Men throw away their Money as
if they were angry with it, which is the Error common-
ly of weak. Minds, and large Fortunes. No Man elleems
of any Thing that comes to him by Ch^ce ; but when is
. is governed by Reafbn, it brings Credit both to th&^
Giver and Receiver; whereas thafe Favours are ia
fome fort fcandalous, that makje a Man afiiamed of hi&
Patron.

It is a Matter of great Prudence for the Bcnefa^lor f •
to fuit the Benefit to the Condition ^^ ^he . . ^ ^
Receiver; whotnuft be, either his Supe- • a h^r^ Jt
rior, his Inferior, or his Equal; and that ^^^ , ^ \^.
^ which would be the higheft Obligation ^X]^7 '''*
imaginable to the one, would perhaps be ^ ^ ecet*uer*
as great a Mockery, and Afiront to the other : As a Plate
of broken Meat (for the Purpofe) to a rich Man» were
aff Indignity, which to a poor Man is a Charity. The

**»^

14 SENECA Ckap.Vr.

Benefits of Prfaices, and bf geezt Meti, «re Honouf9»
Offices, Motiies, profitable CommiffioQ*, Countenance,
and Protedtion : The poor Man has nothing to prefeiic;
but Godd-will, good Advice, Faith, Ii^du£y, the Ser*
vice and Hazard of hisPerfon, an early Apple perad ven-
ture, or fome other ch^p Curiolity : Equals indeed may
correfpond in kind ; bot whatfi>ever the Pi^fent be, or to
whomfoever we ojffer it, this general Rule muft be ob-
ferved, that we always defign the Good and Satisfa^on
of the Receiver; and iievcr grant any Thing to his Detri-
ment. It is not for a Man to fay, I was overcome by
toportunity ; for, when the Fever is oiF, we deteft the
Man that was prevailed upon to our Deftrudion. I will
no more undo a Man with his Will, than forbear fav«
ing him againft it. It is a Benefit in fome Cafes ta
grant, and in others to deny : So that we»are rather to-
coafider the Advantage than the Defire of the Petitioner.
For, we may, in a Pafiion, earned ly beg for (and take
it ill to be denied too) that very Thing, which, upon,
fecond Thoughts, we may come to curfe, as tWOcca-
fion of the moft pernicious Bounty. . Never give any
Thing that Ihall turn to Mifchief, Infatn^y, or Shame. I
will confider another Man's Want, or Safety ; but fo as*
not to forget my own : Unlefs in the Cafe of a very ex-
cellent Perfon, and then I (hall not much heed what be-
comes of myfelf. There is no giving of Water to a
Man in a Fever; or putting a Sword into a Mad-man*&
Hand. He that lends a ^7an Money to carry him to a
Bawdyhoufe, or a Weapon for his Revenge, makes him-
fclf a Partaker of his Crime.

. He that would make an * acceptable Prefent, wiU
w J A 1/ pi^^-'b upon fomethrng that i^ dcfired,
Anacctptabli fought for, and hard to be found;- that
^^J^^ • which he fees no where clfe, snd which

few have; or at lead not in that Place or Seafon ; fome-*
thing that may be always in his Eye, and mind him of his
Bencfadtor. If it be lalting and durable, fo much the bet-
ter; as Plate rather than Money; Statues, than Apparel,
, for it will ferve as a Monitor to mind the Receiver of the
Obligation, •^\hich the Prefcnter cannot fo handfoniely
do. However, Itt it not be improper, as Arms to a
WoiraOy Bookf^aClowB^ Toy« to^Fhilofo^hcf ; I

Chap-VL OfBEN^PITS* ^f

will not give any Man that which he cannot receire, aa
if I threw a Bail to a MJn without^fandsy but I will
make a RiturVf thoush he cannot receive it; for, my
Bufinefs is not.to ou%e Idniy tet to ftee myfelf : nor
any Thing that may reproach a Man of his Vice, or In*
finnxty: As falfe-Dice to a Cheat ; Spc^des to'a Man
that is blind. Let it not be unfeaibnable neither ; as a
forred Gown in Smnnier ; an Umbrella in Winter. Ifi
inhances the Value of the Prefent, if it was never given
to him by any Body elfe, nor by me to any other ; for,
that which we give to every Body, is welcome to no Bo«
dy. The Particularity idoes^mnch, but jret the fame Thing
may receive a dl£erent Eilimate from ieveral Perfons ; for»
there are Ways 6f marking and Tecommending i4in Tucb
a Manner, that if the fame good Office be done to twenty
People, evtry one of them (ball reckon him(elf particiH
larly obliged : As a. cunning Whore, if fhe has a thou-
fand Sweethearts^ willperfuade every one of them, that
fhe loves him beft. But this is rather the Artifice of Con*
' ver&tion, than ^he Virtue of it.

The Citizensof Mr^rAfentAmbaffadoFs to* j^;rM^i(^
in the Height of his Gloryi to oiSer bim» ^ « t ^
as a Compliment, the Freedom of their r^.r^' PI
City. \i^n Akxaniir% fmiling at ^J^^^^m^^-
Propoial, they told him, that it was a Prefent which
they had never made, but to HeuuU^^ and himfelf*
Whereupon AUxander treated them kindly, atid accept*
edof it; not for the Prefenters Sake, but becauie they
had joined him wit:h Henuki^ how anreafonably foever :
For Hercules conquered nothing for himielf, but made it
his Buiinefs to vindicate, and to protect the miferable, with-
out any private Intereft, or De^gn : But this intemperate
young Man (whoie Virtue was nothing elfe but a fuccefs-
ful Temerity} was traii>ed up from his Youth in the Trade
of Violence : The common Enemy of Mankind, as well
of his Friends as of his Foes, and one that valued him*
felf upon being terrible to all Mortals : Never confider^
iug that the dulleft Creatures areas dangerous, and at
dreadful, as thc.fierceft^ for the Poifon of a Toad, or
the Tooth of a Snake wijl do<a Man's Bufinefsy as fureas •
the Paw of a Tygcr.

jl6 S £ N E C A C}ttp.VII,

CHAP. VII.

7%^ Manner cf Obliging.

TH ERE is not any Benefit fo glorious in itfelf, but
it may yet be exceedingly Aveetened, and improv-
ed by the Manner of conferring it. The Virtue, I know,
reils in the Intent ; the Profit in the judicious Application
of the Matter ; but, the Beauty and Ornament of an Obi.
ligation, lies in the Manner of it ; and it is then perfed^,
when the Dignity of the Office is accompanied with all
the Charms and Delicacies of Humanity, Good-nature
and Addrefs : And with Difpatch too ; for, lie that
puts a Man off from Time toTime> was never right at
Heart.
In the ^t^ Place, whatfbever we give, let us do it •

• G ' f a il f^^^^b • ^ ^^^'^ Bcncfefkor makes a Man
-''^ ■^*- happy, zsfiim as he can, and as much as
he can. There fhould be no Deie^ in a Benefit, but
the Modefty of the Receiver. If we cannot foreiee the
Requeil, let us however immediately grant it, and hy
no means fufFer the repeating of it. It is (b grievous a
Thing to fay, / BEG ; the very Word puts a Man out
of Countenance ; and it is a double Kindnefs, to do
the Thing," and fave an honeft Man the Confufron of
a Blufh. It comes too late, that comes for the Afking ^
for nothing cofts us ib dear, as that we purchafe with
our Prayers: It is all we give even iFbr Heaven itfelf;
and even there too, where our Petitions are at the fair-
cil, we chufe rather to prefent them in fecret Ejacula-
tions, than by Word of Mouth. That is the lafting,
. and the acceptable Benefit, that meets the Receiver half
Way. The Rule is, we are to gi've^ as we would reaij/ey
chearfullyt quickly^ and without Hefitation ; for there is
no Grace in a Benefit, that fticks to the Fingers. Nay,
if there ftiould be Occafion' for Delay, let ub however
net /eem to deliberate ; for demurring is next door to
denying ; and fo long as we fufpend, fo long are we un-
willing. It is a Court-humour, to keep People upon
the I'enters ; their Injuries are quick and fudden, but
their Benefits are ilov^. Great Miniders love to racjc

Chap. VII. Of B E N E F I T S. 17

Men with Attendance ; and accoant it an Ofientatioa
of their Power to hold their Suitors in handy and to
have many Witnefiel of their IntereH. A Benefit
ihould be made acceptable by all poilible Means, even
to the £nd» that the Receiver, who is never to forget
ity may bear it in his Mind with Satisfadion. There
mufl be no Mixture of Soumefsy Severity, Contumely,
or Reproof, with our Obligations ; nay, in cafe there
ihould be any Occa£on for ib much as an Admonition,
let it be referred to another Time. We are a great
deal apter to remember Injuries than Benefits ; and it is
eoongh to forgive an Obligation,^ thfft has the Nature of
an Offence.

There are fomethat fpoilagood OfHceafter it is donei
and others in the very Inftant of doine ^ . 1 .
it. There rouil be fo much Intreaty and f^* ' '^'^*
importunity: Nay, if we do but fufpeft''^ -^*
a Petitioner, we put on a ibur Face ; look another Way.;
pretend Hafie, Company, Bufmefs ; talk of other Mat-
ters, and keep him oiF with artificial Delays, let his
NecefHiies be never fo prefling ; and when we are pat
to it at laft, it comes fo hard from us, that it is rather
extorted than obtained ; and not fo- properly the giving
of a Bounty, as the quitting of a Man's Hold upon the
Tug, when another is too firong for him: So that
this is but doing oneKindnefs for me, and another
for himfelf; he gives for his own Quiet, after he has
tormented me with Difficulties and Delays. The Mat^
net of faying or of dnng any Thing, goes a great Way
in the Value of the Thing itfelf. It was well faid of
bim that Called a good Omce that was done harihly^
and with an ill Will, Afiony Piea of Briad ; it h ne-
ceflaryfor him that.ishungry to receive it, but italmoft
chokes a Man in the £oing down. There mult be no
Pride, Arrogance of Looks^ or 1 umt)ur of Words in
the bellowing of Benefits ; no Infolence of Behavioua»
but a Modefty of Mind, and a diligent Care ^o catch
at Occafions, and prevent Neceifities. A Paufe, an un-
kind Tone^ Word, Look or Adion, dellroys the Grace
of a Courtefy. Jt corrupts a Bounty whea it is accom-
panied with StatCi Haughtimds and Elation of Mind in
the ^vtof of it. Some have the Tnck of fiiifting of

rf SENECA. Chtp.Vn.

9 Suitor with a 'Point of Wit, or a Cavil. ^ 'As in the
Cafe of the Cftiick thftc begged a Talent oiAntigiinMs ;
That is fo ^uch^ iays he, for a CynuJ^ to njk \ when he
*fc)l to a Penny, ^h€^t u too iinU^ fays htyfor a Prime
u gi^e. He might have found a Way to have com-
'poonded this Conrroverfy, by giving him a P^my^ as to
a CyKiei ; 'and a Tahnt as from a Princt. ^ Whatfoever
we bellow, let it be done with a frank and achearfal
Countenance : AMan.muft not give^ith his Hand, and
^eny with his Looks. He that gives qukkly gives •
%9Hngly.

Wb are Wkewife* to accompany go9 J Dffifs with go^^/
^ J mt ^^^^^* and fay (for tKe Purpofe) PF^y
' J fT^ ^ foould ytm maktfuchu flatter of this ? tVhy

h Ad ^^'^ "^^ -^ ^^^ '^ fne fo9fnr ? Why n»ouUi
y^ f you make t(ff of any Bottf eft? 1 take it it I

tJbat you Jhould bring me n Uecomrmndation-'^
'Pray let there be no more if this ; but *wben you ha've Oe -
-tafion "hif after f come to me upon your omah Account^ That
is the glorioos Bounty, v^hen the Receiver can fey to
^itnfotf, Whett ablejffeJDay has this been to me / Never tveis
Viity'Thin^donefogefierovfyyfotefiiieriy^ <with f$ geod\e grace,
'iH^hdtitit Imtfuld^ct dotofir<ve this man! Athoufand
'Times as much another Wtty couid n^t have given me this
'^atiifa^icn, Infuch a Cafe, let tbe Benifffit be never
■fo confiderable, the Manner of conferring it is yet the
•ndbteftP&rt. Where there is HarihAeis'of Language,
-Countenance, Or Behaviour, a Man bad better be with-
^^out it. A fiat Denial is in£niiely beft>re a vexatious De-
lay ; as a quick Death is 'a Mercy compared with « ling-
tting Tornlent. But to be put to Waitings and Inter-
ceiiions, ^fter e Fromife is paft, is a Cruelty intolerable.
It is trouMefome to flay long for a Benefit, let it be never
'ib great ; and he that holds me needlefsly in Pain lofes
two precious Things, Time, and the Proof of Friend-
4hip. Nay, the very Hint of a Man's Wants comes
many Times too late. If I had Money ^ feid Socrates^
J would buy me a Cloak. They that knew he wanted one
fhould have prevented the vexy Intimation of that Want.
It is not the Value of the Prefent, but the Benev5-
lencc of the Mind, that we are to confider. tie ^anse
tne iut a Hi tie f 4utf it was genet ot(fy, and-fronkfy done.;

Chap.ViL Of BENEFITS f$

it tvas a bttU out of a iittk^ Hi gcpog it mt iviihout
^Jking ; he preft it upm mi\ he vjntckid the Opportunity
if doing it J and took it as an Obligation upon him/elf.
On the. other fide, many Beftefita 4ire :gle^ ki Shevtr,
but little or nothing perhaps in Efie£t; when they
come hard, flow, or at unawares. That which is giTen
with Pride and Ofbntation, is rather an Ambition than a
Bounty.

Some Favours are to be conferred in ^ puhiic : othert
vr» tri<vate. In ^«Mo the Rewards of great • c r
Aaions; as Honours, Charges, or what- ^^^f'^'^ri
foever elfe, gives a Man Reputation in '*^*?'^» ^'^^'
the World ; but, the good Offices we do '* /*'''**''•
for a Man in Want, Diftrefs, or under Reproach ; thefe
ihould be known only 'to thoie that have the Benefit of
them. Nay, not to them neither, if we can handfomeiy
conceal it from whence the Favour comes : For the
Secrecy, in many Cafes, is a main Part of tiie Benefit,
There was a good Man that had a Friend, who was both
poor and fick, and afhamed to own his Condition : He
privacefy convened a B^ of Money under his Pillow,
that he might feem raither to find than receive it. Pro^
yfdeci I know that I give it, no Matter for his knowing
from whence it comes diat receives it. Many a Man
ftands in need of Help, that bas not the Face to confefa
it : If the Dficovery may- give Offence, let it lie con-
cealed: ik that, gives it to be feen, would never relieve
a Man in the £fark. It would be too tedious to xan
through all the Niceties that may occur upon this Sub-
j.e£t. But, in two Words, hemuft be a wife, a friendly i^
and a nvell^bred Man, that perfe'dly acquits himielf ia
the Art, and I^uty of Obl^ing ; for alt his Adiona
moil be fquared according. to the Meatuses of Cm/r/^«
CoQd'naiure Hid l^i/eretim*

«• SENECA Chap.VIir.

C H A P. VIII.
TTu Dlfftrtnci and Valut of Benefits,

WE have already fpoken of Benefits in general^ the
Mattery ana th?? * Intention^ together with the
Manner of conferring them. It followi now in Coorfc,
to (ay fomething of the Falue of them ; which is rate J,
either by the Good they do us, or by the Inconve-
nience ^tney fa ve usj and has no other Standard than
that of a judicious Regard to CircumHancey and Oc*
caGon. Suppofe I fave a Klan from Drowning, the
Advantage of Life is all one to htm, from what Hand
fbever it comes, or by what Means : But, yet there may
be a vaft Difference in the Obligation. I may do it
'with Hazard, or with Security ; with Trouble, or with
Eafe ; willing, or by Compulfion ; upon Interceffion,
or without it : I may have a Profpefl of Vain-glory
or Profit: I may do jt in Kindnefs to another, or an
hundred By-endt to myfelf : and every Point docs ex-
ceedingly vary the Cafe. Two Perfbns may part with
the fame Sum of Money, and yet not the (ame Benefit :
The one had it of his oicxf, and it was but titth out of
a gf»tat deal \ the oi\er borronved \ty and beflowed it
opon me that which he wanted for himfelf. Two Boys
were fent out to fetch a certain Perfbn to their Mafler :
The one of them hunts up and do^n, and comes home
again weary, without finding him; die other &Ils to play
with his Companions at the Wheel of Fortune, (ees him
by Chance pafHng by, delivers him his Errand, and
brings him* He that found him by Chance defcrves t%
ke punifhed ; and he that fought for him, and miiTcd
him, to be rewarded for his good Will.

In fome Caies we V^ue * the Thing; Jn others
^W ddii tb ^^ Lahtr and Attendance. What can
(TL'^'^sL^T ^ be more precious than good Manners,,
r'"^* '^i,f''*"-goodXctter8^ Life and Health I amUet
bmr ifrAtten- ^^ pajr our Phyficians and Tutors only

^^'' for their Service in their Profeffions. If we

buy Things cheap, it mattcn not, fo long as it is m Bar*

Chap. Vlir. or B E N E F I T S. Ki

gain : it is no Obligation from the Seller, if no Bod/
el(e would give him more for it. What would not a
Man^give to be fet afhore in a Tempeft ? For a Houfe in
a WilderneTs ? A Shelter in a Storm ? A Fire or a Bit
of Meat when a Man is pinched with Hanger oi^Cold ? A
Defence againft ThiereSi and a thouiand other Matters
of Moment, that cod bat little f And yet we know that
the Skipper has bat his Freight for oar PaflSi2e ; and the
Carpenters and Bricklavers do their Work by the Day.
Thofe are many Times the greateft Obligations^ in Truths
which lA vulgar Opinion are the fmalleft : As Comfort to
the Sick, Poor, Captives; good Coun(el, keeping of
People from Wickednefs, &c. Wherefore we (hould
reckon oorfelves to owe moft for the nobleft Benefits. If
the Phyiidan adds Care and Friendlhip to the Duty
of his Calling ; and the Tutor to the common Method
of his Bufinefs ; I am to efteem of them as the neareft
of my Relations : for, to watch with roe ; to be troubled
for me ; and to pat ofFall other Patients for my Sake»
is a particular Xindnefs : and fo it is in my Tutor, if he
takes more Pains with me than with the reft' of my
Fellows. It is not enough, in this Caie, to pay the one
bis Fees, and the other his Salary ; but I am indebted to
them over and above for their Friendlhip. Themeancft
of Mechanics, if he does his Work with Induftry, and
Care, it is an ufual Thing to caft ^him fomething by
Way of Reward, more than the bare Agreement : And,
fhall we deal worfe with the Prefervers of our Lives, and
the Reformers of our Manners ? He that gives me him-
ielf (if he be worth taking) gives the greateft Benefit :
And, tliis is the Present which JB/chtnes,z poor Di{ap\e
of Socrates, made to his Mafter, and as a Matter of
great Confideration : Others may have gi'vem you mucb^
fays hcf, hut J am the only Man thai has left nothing
to himfelf: ^his Gtfty fays Socrates, you Jhall ne^er
repent ofy for I naill take Care to return it better than I
found it : So that a brave Mind cairnever want Matter
for Liberality in the meaneft Condition; for. Nature*
has been {o kind to us, that where we have nothing
of Fortune's we may beftow fomething of our own.
It faUs oot often that a Benefit is followed with an

SENECA Chap. VUT^

• v# B/fte/itM' ^^i^^y * ' ^^ wWch will be fcnemofti it i»:

/tfw db I' ^"^ ^^ ^^^U M with one Writing upon.

e yan »• ^q^^j^j. ^ j^ ^^^^ j^ ^ grcai Mealiire hide.

<^'' -^* (he farmer, and ke^ it from tppearing,

hut ic does not q^U take ic away. We may in fome>
Cafes divide thei% and both requite the one, and re-
venge the others or otherwife compare tksm> to know.'
whether 1 am a Creditor, or Debitor. You have
obliged me in my Servant, but wounded me in my Bro-^
ther » yqu have faved my Son» ))ut have deftroyed nly
Hatber: In thi^ Indance, I will allow as much as*
Piety and JuQice, aod Good-nature. wIU bear ; but L
am not willing to fet an Injury againft a Benefit I would
have fome Refpe^ to the Time ; the Obligation came.
£rA, and; theih penhaps, the one was de^ed» ^the
other agaipil his WiU : under the&Co&fiderations J would-
amplify the Benefit* and le&n the Injury, add exdnguifh
the one with the other; nay» I wonld pardon the
Injury even withtut the Benefit, but mnch more 4tf^
Ur it. Not that a Man can be bound' by one Benefit xo
fu0er all Sorts of Injuries ; for, there are fome Caies.
wherein we lie ynder no Obligation for a Benefit ; be*
cauie a greater Injury abfolves it : As for Example, a
IVJaa helps me out of a Law Suit, and afterwards com-
mits a Rape upon my Daughter ; where the following
Impiety cancels the antecedent Obligation. A Man
lends a liide Money, and then fets my Hoofe on Fire :
the Df i^r is here turned Creditor, when the Injury otic-
v^cig^s the Benefit. Nay, if a Man does but fo much .
as repent the good Office done, and grow four and in«
folent upon it, ^od upbraid me with it : If he did it only
for his own S^^e, or . for any other Reaibn, than for
mine; I am in&meiDegree, more or lefs, acquitted of the
Obligation. I. am not at all beholden to him that makes
me the Inihument of his awn Advantage. He that does
me gOQjd for. his own Sake, 1 will do him good for mine.
Suppose a Man makes Suit for a * Place, and cannot
•-TU r A /• obtain it, but upas iihe Ranibme of Ten
€dK^^icZlR ^^^^ out ot the Galltes. If tfecpe be
. ^^?^ ^' Tiep, and 90 ffwrA they ou«- him nothing'
f ^'' ' for tkeir.RederopTion ; but th»y are inde-

debted to him for (he Choice, where he might have

OajLViri. Of BENEFITS. 2^

taken Ten others as well as theie. Put the Cafe zpdUp
thau by an Ad of Grace fo many Prifoaers are to be
releafed ; their Names to be drawn by Lot, and mine
happens to co£pe out among the reft ; one Part of my
Obligation is to him that put me in a Capacity of
Freedom ; and the other is to Providence^ for my being
one of that Number. The Greateft Benefits of all
have no Witneflbs, bat lie concealed in the Confci-^
ence.

Ti»&B is a great Difierence betwixt a common Ob«
iigatioti, and a particular ; * he that lends « ^ , .. .
my Country Money, obliges me only '^^ ^^"^

as a Part of the whole. F/atB croifcd ^'"7'' ^''^
the River, and the Fcrry-man would take /^v^»^'-
no Money of him : He receded upon it as an Honour
done CO bimfelf, and told him, That Piato <ujas in
Debt, ButFJafo, when he found it to be no more
than he did for others, recalled his word, Fcr, fays be,
Plato *wHI o*u3e^ nothing in partiiular^ for a Bemfit in
common; nnbai 1 ow€ 'with- others^ I nxjtU faj^ naith
others^

Some will have it, that the NecefCty f of wiQ^inga

Man welly is fome Abatement to the . ^ >..

OWigation in the doing of him a good \ ^^/p^if «

Office. But, I fay, oa the coiurary, that */^«^^^e^'>

it Is the greater, becaufe the Good- will cannot be

changed* it is one thing to fay, that a Man could not

but do me th s or that Civility, becaaie he was forced

to it ; and another thing. That he could not quit the

Good -will of doing it. In the former Cafe, 1 am a

Debtor to him that impofeth the Force ; in the other

to myfelf. The unchangeable Good-will is an indif*

penfible Obligation ; and to fay, that Nature cannot

go out of her Coiirfe, does not diicharge us, of <w/jat

lue. o*we to ProKide^t. Shall be be faid to will, that

may change his Mind the next Moment? And ihall

we queilion the Will of the Almighty, -whofc Nature

admits no Change? Mud the Stars quit tiieir Station?,

and fall foul upon one another? Mud the Sun iUod.

ilill in the middle of his Courfe, and Heaven and

Earth 4rop into ConfnrK>n r Mud a devo\iring Fire feize

upon the Univerfe; the Harmony of the Creation be

r4 SENECA Chap.BT,

diflblved ; and the whole Frame of I^atare fwallowed up
in a dark Abyfs ? And wiJl nothing lefs than this ferve
to convince the World of their audacious and imper*
tiiient Fdh'es f It is not to fay, that» Thefe heavenly
Bodies art not made for as ; for, in pait they are {o ;'
and we are the better for their Virtues and Motions,
whether we will or no : Thoagh undoubtedly the prin-
ciple Cauie is the unalterable Law of God. Providence
is not moved by any Thing from without; but the Di*
vine Will is an everla|fcing Law ; an immutable Decree:
aod the Impoffibility of Variation proceeds from God's
Purpofe of Preferving} for he never repents^f his firft
Counfels. It is not with our heavenly as with our earth*
Iv Father. God thought of us^ and provided for us, be-
fore he made us : (for unto him all future Events are
prefent : ) Man was not the Work of Chance; his Mind
carries him above the Flight of Fortune, and naturally
afpires to the Contemplation of Heaven, and divine My-
fberies. How defperate a Phrenzy is it now, to under-
value ; nav to contemn, and difclaim thefe divine Blef-
iingsy witnout which we are utterly incapable of enjoy-
ing any other !

. CHAP, IX.

jfn honefi Man cannot be outdone in Courtefy^

IT pafles in the World for a generous, .and a magni-
ficent Saying, that, // is a Shame fir a Man to he
outdone in Court ejy : And it is wofrth the while to exa-
mine both the Truth of it, and the Millake. Firft, there
can be no Shame in a viitudas Emulation ; and, fecond-
ly, there can be no Viftory without croffmg the^Cudg^s,
and yielding the Caufe. One Man may have the Ad-
vantages of Strength, of Means, of Fortune ; and this
will undoubtedly operate upon the Events of good Pur-
pofes, but yet without any Diminution to the Virtue,
The good Will may be the fame i»boih, and yet one
may have the Heels of the other : For it is not in a
good Office as in $;hc Courfe ; where he wins the Plate

Cliap.lX. Of B E N E F 1 T S. 5«

that comes firft to the Poft : And even there alfo, Chaiice
has many times a great hand in the Socceis . Where the
CbDteft is about Benefits, and that the one has not only
a gocd fFiU^ 1>at Matter to work upon ; and a fovaer
to pot the good fntention in Execution : And the othei*
has barely a goad Willy without either the Means or the
Occafion of a Reqaital ; \( he does but affedlionately wifh
it, and endeavour it ; the latter is no more overcome,
in Courtefy, than he is in Courage, that dies with his
Sw6rd in his Hand, and his Faie to the Enemy, and,
without (hrinking, maintains his Station : For where
Fortune is partial^ it is enough that the good Will \s equal.
There are two Errors in this Proportion : Firft, to im-
ply that a good Man may be overcome ; and then to
imagine that any thing fhameful can befal him. The
S'/^i^/^iif/ prohibited all thofe Exercifes where the Viftoiy
was declared by the ConfefTion of the Conteodent* Tfac
J GO Fahii were never iaid to be conquered, hatjlain;
nor Regulus to be overcome^ though he was taken Pri/oner
By the Carthaginians, The Mind may ftand firm un-
der thegreatett Malice and Iniquity of Fortune; and
yet the Giver and Receiver cominue upon equal Terms :.
As we reckon it a drawn Battle, when two Combatants
are parted, though the one has loft more Blood than the
other. He that knows how to owe a Courtefy, and
heartily wiihes ibat he could requite it, is invincible ;
fo that every Man may be as grateful as he pleafes.
It is your Happioefs to give, it is my Fortune that 1 can
only receive. What Advantage now has your Chance
Over my Virtue ? But there arc fome Men that have
philofophized themfelves almoft out of the Senfe of hu-
man Affe^i'ons ; as i>iogenes, that walked naked and
anconccrned through the Middle of Alexander ^TrtZ'
(bres; and was as well in other Mens Opinions, as in his
own, evea above -/^/pjf^zW^r himfelf, who, at that time,'
had the whole World at his Feet : For there was more
chat the one fcorned to take, than that the other had in
his Power to give; and it i9 a greater Generofity for
a Beggar to refufe Money, than for a Prince to bcilow
hs Thi? is a remarkable InHance of an immoveable
Mind ; and there is hardly any contending with it ; but
a Man is Aever the lefs valiant for being worded by

. e-

26 SENECA Chap. IX.

aa involnerable Enemy ; nor the Fire one jot the weak-
er, for not confuming an incombuflible Body ; nor a
Sword ever a whit the worfe for not cleaving a Rock
that is .impenetrable ; neither is a grateful Min4 over-
come for want of an an fwerable Fortune. No matter
for the Inequality of the Things given, and received,
fo long as, in Point of good AffeAion, the two Parties
(land upon the Level. It is no Shame not to overtake a
Man, if we follow him as faft as we can. That Tumour of
a Man, the vain-glorious Alexander ^ was ufed to make.
his Boafl, that. never any Man went beyond him in Be-
nefits ^ and yet he lived to fee a poor Fellow in a Tub,
to whom there was nothing that he could give, and from
^hom there was nothing that he could take away.

Nor is it always neceflary for a poor Man tofiy to^he
- , y. jj, . . Sanduary of an invincible Mind, to quit
. T^ i f'J r fcores with the Bounties of a plentiful
*p ^'"^ ^ ^ Fortune; but it do?s often fall out that
rejtn /. ^^ Returns which he cannot make in

ki*idy are more than fupplied in Dii>mty and Falue. ^r-
chehusy a Y^va^oi Macedon^ invited Socrates to his Palace;
but he excufed.himfelf, as unwilling to, receive greater
Benefits tiian he was able to requite. This perhaps
was not Pride in Socrates^ but Craft ; for he- was afraid
of being forced to accept of fomething which might
poflibly have been unworthy of him : Befidc that he was
a Man of Liberty, and loth to make himfelfa voluntary
"Slave. The .Truth of it is, that Archelaus had more
Deed o( Socrates than Socrates of' Jrchelaus ; for he wanted
a Man to teach him the Art of Life and Death, and the
Skill of Government; and to read the Book of Nature
to him, and fhew him thie L-'ght at Noon-day: He
wanted a Man, that, when the Sun was in an Eclipfe,
and he had locked himfelf up in all the Horror and
Defpair imaginable ; he wanted a Man, I fay, to deliver
him from his Apprchenfions, and to expound the Pro-
digy to him*, by telling him, That there was r.o more
jn it, than only th it the Moon was got betwixt the Sun
and the. E^rth, and all would be well again prefently.
Let the Wprld judge now, whether Archelaus his Bounty^
or S -crates his Philo/ophy, would have been the greater
Prefent: He does not underftand the Value of Wifdum'
and Friendlhip, that does not know a wife Friend to be

Chap. X. Of B E N E F r T S. vj

the nobleft of Prefcnts; A Rarity fcarce to be Found,
Dot only in a Fiunily, but in an Age ; and no where
more wanted than where there feems to be the great'*
eft Store. The greater a Man is, the more need he
has of him ; and the more Difficulty there is both of
finding* and of knowing him. Nor is it' to be faid* that*
/ cannot requite fucb a Benefa^or^ hecauft I am poor, and
ha-ue it not ; 1 can give good Coanfel ; a Converiktion«^
wherein }ie may Iwth take Delight, and Profit ; Free-
dom of J)ircourfey without Flattery; kind Attention,
where he deliberates ; and Faith inviolable, where he
trufts ; I may bring him to a Love and Knowledge of
IVutb, deliver him/rom the Errors of his Credulity, an4
teach him to diliinguifli betwixt Friends and Paraiices.

CHAP, X.

I

The Biaejllon difcujfed^ TVIjeiher or no a Man may
give or return a Benefit to h'mfdf»^

THERE are many Gafes wherein aManipeaks of
himfelf as. of another. As for Example, / ma-^ '
thank, myjeff J^r this 'y I am aniry at my/eif', 1 liate ny^-
felf forjhat. And this way of fpeaking has raifed- a
i)ifpute among the Stoicks^ Whether or no a Man may give
or return a Benefit to him/elf. For, fay they, if I may-
hort myfelf, I may oblige myfelf ; and, that which were
a Benefit to another Body, why is it not (o to myfelf?
And why am I not as criminal in being ungrateful to
myk\f, as if I were fo to another Body ? And the Cafe
is the fame in Flattery, and feveral other Vices ; as on
the other fide, it is a Point of great Reputation for a*
Man to command himfeif. I^lato thanked ^ecr^/fi for
what he had learned of him ; and- why might not So^
cratti as well thank PUto for that which he had tattght
him ? ihat 'which you njuant, fays Phto, borro^w it of
ymrjelf. And why. may I not as well give to myfelf, as
lend? If I may.bf angry with myfelf, 1 may thank my*'
fclf ; and, If I cbil^ ipyfelf, I way as well com*
mend myfelf, and dp pi^y felf Good a.%W/ey as Hurt : There
\& the fame Reafoa of Contraries. It is a common thing

C «

±t SENECA^ Chap.X.

10 fay. Such a Man hath done him/elf an hjury, Jf aa
Injures why not a Benefit ? Btrt, I fay, rtiat tto Man cad
be a Debtor to Kimielf ; for the Benefit mnft naturally
precede the' Acknowledgment; and" a Debtor can no
more be 'without a Creditor, than a Ha/band without a
Wife. Some body mufl give, that feme body may re-
ceive ; aud It is neither Giving nor Receiving, the paf-
fing of a thing from one Hand to the other. What if a
Man ihodd be ungrateful in the Cafe ? There is nothing
loft ; for he that gives it has it : And he that gives, and
he that receives, are one and the fame Peribn. Now,
properly Ipeaking, no Man can be laid to befiow any
thing upon himfelf; for he obeys hisNature, that
prompts every Man to do himielf all the Good he can.
Shall!, call him Ubeial that f;«v«s to hitsMf^ -er f^eed-
natured that pardons himielf ; or pitiful that is a^eded
with his own Mi&fbrtunes ? That which were Boun-
ty, Clemency, CompaiSon, to another, to myfelf k
Kature^ A Benefit is a voluntary thing i but to do good
to- myfelf IS a thing ueccffiiry. Was ever any Man com-
mended for getting out of a Ditch, or for helping him-
ielfagainft Thieves? Or, what if I fhould allow, that a
Man may confer a Benefit upon himfelf ; yet he cannot
owe it ; for he returns it in the fame Inilant that he re-
ceives it. No Man gives, owes, or makes a Return,
but to another. How can one Man do that, to which
two Parties are requifite in fo many Refpe£^s ? Giving and
Receiving muft go backward, and forward, betwixt two
Peribns. If a Man give to himfelf, he may fell to him-
ielf : bat to fell is to alienate a thinfi^, and to tranflate
the Right of it to another ; now, to make a Man both the
Giver and Receiver, is to unite two Contraries. That is
a Benefit, which, when it is given, may poffibly not be
requited; but he that gives to him/elf, mufl neceilarily
receive what he dves. Befide that, all Benefits are given
for the Receiver 8 Sake, but that whtdi a Man does for
himfelf, is for the Sake of the Giver.

This is one of thofe Sabtilties, which though hardly
worth a Man's while, yet it is not Labour abfcMutely loft
Beither. There is more of Trick and Artiiice in it, than
Sehdi^: And yet there is Matter of^verfion too;

Chap. XL Of B B N E :P I T S. 29

enough perhaps to pais away a inter's Evtnmgy and
keep a Man waking that is heavy-headed.

CHAP. XL

How far omMan maj hi $bliged f$r a Ben^t dom

to affoibtr.

TH £ Qjieftion now before us Kqaires DifiinBiom^
and Caution^ For though it be both natural and
generous, to wifh well to my Friend's Friend ; yet a^r*
tond'hand Benefit does not bind me any far^r» than to'
a Sectmd'hand Grtititiu/e ; So that I may receive great
Satisfaction and Advantage frofta a good- 0£ce done to
my Friend* and yet lie nndcr no Cbligaiioii myielf. Or»
if any Man thinks otberwife* 1 muft afic him, in the firft
Place, Where it begins ? and how far it extends ? that
it may not be boundlefi. Suppoie a Man obliges the
Son I does that Obligation work vpon the l^^ather ? And
why not upon the Uncle too? The Brother? TheWifirf
The Siftar ? The Mother I Nay, asprnt all that have any
Ktndnefi for him ? And upon all the Lovers of his
Fjrieods ? and upon all that love them too ? and fo im
iMfinitumm in this^ Cafe we maft have Recoorfe, as is
iaid heretofbrei to the Intention of the Benefadtor ; and
Bx the Oblfgatioa upon him* unco whom the Kindne(a
i^aa directed. If a Mao nanutes my Ground, keeps my
Hoafe from barning or falling, it is a Benefit to nie, for
I am the better for it, and tny Hdufe and Land are in*
ienfible. But if he fave the Life of my Son, the Benefit
is to my Son : It is a Joy and a Comfort to me, but no
Obligation. I am as much concerned as I ought to be«
in the Health, the Felicity, and the Welfare q\ my Son i
and happy in the Enjoyment of him ; and 1 ihoold be as
unhappy as is pofitble in his Lofs ; but it does not follow,
ihati muftof neCeffity He under an Obligation, for being
either happier, or lefs miferable, by another Body's
Means. There are fom& Benefits, which, although con-
ferred upon one Man, may yet work upon others ; as a
Sum of Money may be given to a poor Man for his own
^ikitf which, in the Confeqoencc, prove* the Relief ©fhis^
% C J

30 S E/'N'E'C a Chap. XT. .

^hole Farflily ; but flill the immediate Receiver is the
Debtor for it ; for the Queftion is aot, to whom it comes
afterwards to be transferred, but who is the Principal?
and upon whom it was firft beftowed ? My Son's Life is
a^ dear to me as my own ; and, in (avjng him, you pre-
fcrve me too : In this Cafe I will acknowledge myfelf
©birged to you; that is to fay/in my Son's Name; for in
my own, and in Striclnefs, 1 am Viot : but I am content
to make myfelf a voluntary Debtor. Wjiat if he had
borrowed Money ? My paying of it does not at all make
it my Debt. . It would put me to the Bluih perhaps to*
have him taken in Bed with another Man's Wife ; btit
tha€ does not make me an Adulterer. It is a wonderful
Delight and Satisfa£lion that I receive in his Safety; but
Hill this Good is not a Benefit. A Man may be the bet-
ter for an Animal, a Plant, a Stone: But there muft be a
Will, an Intention, to make it an Obligation. You lave
the Son without fo much as knowing the Father: Nay»
V/ithout fo much as chinking of him ; and* perhaps, you
would have done the fame Thing, even if ydu had hated
him. But, without any further Alteration of Dialogue^
the Conclufion is this \ If you meant hftn a Kindnefs, he
isanfwerable for it ; and I may enjoy the Fruk of it,
without being obliged by it. But if it was done for my -
Sake, then am I accountable. Or howfoever, upon any
Occalion, I am ready to do you all the kind Offices inia-
ginable ; not as the Return of a Benefit, but as the £ar«
nefl of a Friendfhip : which you are not to challenge nei-
ther, but to entertain as an Aft of Honour and of Juftice,
rather than of Gratitude. If a Man iind the Body of my
dead Father in a Defart, and give it Burial ; if he did it
as to my Father, I am beholden to him : But, if the Body
was unknown to him, and that he would have done the
fame Thing for any other Body, I am no farther concern-
ed in it, than as a Piece of public Humanity.
The^b are, moreover, fome Cafes, wherein an un-

^ - r n worthy Perfon may be * obliged, for

• ^« «».w/^j. Per. ,^^ ^^^ ^f ^j^^^^ I ^^ J ^^^ ^^6 ; jjj £^_

/onmaybecbhgeJfcr ^^^ ^^ ^^ ancient Nobility may be

thejakeofthofithat ^^^^^^ before a better Man, that is

are mor, 'worthy. ^^^ of Yefterday's ftanding. And it is

but reaibnabfe to pay a Reverence even to the Memory

vt emincDt Virtues. He (hat is not iUuftrioui in himieKi

Chap.XlL Of B E N E F I T S. 31

may yet be reputed fo in the Right of hii Anceftors.
And there is a Gratitude to be entailed upon the OfF-
fpriog of famous Progenitors. Was it not for the Fa^
ther's Sake tltat Czcero the Son was made Confute And
was it not the Eminence of one Fontpey^ that raifed and
dignified the reft of his Family ? How came Caligula to
be Emperor of the World ? a Man fo cruel, that he fpilt
Blood as greedily as if he were to drink it ? The Em-
pire was not given to himfelf, but to his Father Gtrma'-
micvs: A braver Man defcrved that for him, which he
could never have challenged upon his own Merit. What
\t as it that preferred Fahius Perfirus ? (whofe very Mouth
was the uncleaneft Part about him:) WhatvvaJit, but
the three hundred of that Family that fo generoufly op-
f ofed the Et)_emy, for the Safety of the Common- wealth.
Nay, • Providence itfelf is gracious to the wicked
Poflcrity of an honourable Race. The ^ „ • /
Couufels of Heaven are guided by Wif- y,^. *

dom, Mercy, and Juftice. Some Men •:i^ '■'v , j n^'^yj
are made Kings for their proper Virtues, . ^ -Vr
without any Refpeft to their Prcdeccf- ^'-^ A'^J^
Ibra. Others, for their Anceftors Sakes, *^^'*^ *^ ^^^*
whofe Virtues, though neglefled in their Lives, come to
be afterward rewarded in their Iffues. And, it is hut
Equality, that oar Gratitude (hould extend as far as the
Infhience of their heroical Actions and Examples.

C H A P. XII.

The Benefa^or mufl have no By-ends.

WE come now to the main Point of the Matter in
Queftion ; that is to {2Lyy Whether or no if be a
Thing defirablc in itfelf, the Giving and Receiving of Be-
&efits,»^ There is aSe£lofPhilofophers that accounts no*
thing valuable, but what is profitable ; and fo makes all
Virtue mercenary : An unmanly Miftake, to imagine,
that the Hope of Gain, or Fear of Lofs, (houtd make a
Man either the more or the lefs honeft. As who (hoald
iay, What Jh&ll I get by it, and rii be an honeft Man f

C4

a« . * E N EC A^ Chip. ML

Whereas cm tlie contnuy, Hos^fty is a Thing in itfelf to
be puit:hared at any Rate. It is not for a Body to fay, //
w// Si a Charge ; a HaxMrd\ IJhaU give Offence^ Sec.
My Buii^eis is to do what I ought to do : All other Con-
ildefations are foreign to the OiHce. Wbenfoever my
Duty calls me, it is my Part to attend* wkhout icrupu-
jiizing upon Forms or Difficulties. Shall ( fee an honeft
JMan opprefied at the Bar, and not afiiil him, for fear of
« Court- fadlion ? Or not fecond him upon the High*
way againft Thieves for fear of a broken Head ? And
.chuie rather to fit dill the quiet Spedator of Fraud and
Violence i Why will Men be juft, temperate, gen«*
joos,. brave, but becaufe it carries along with it Fame,
and a good Confcience i And for the fame Reaibn, and
j^o other, (to apply it to the Subje^ in hand) let a Man
alfo be bountiful. The School of Epicurus^ I am fure,
will never fwallow that Doctrine ; (this eifeminate Tribe
'6f lazv and voluptuous PhiloiSdphers they will tdl yoa»
that Virtue is Mt the VaiTal and Servant of Pkafure.
■No^ fays Epicures, J am mi for Ple^ure mithery <wiihsMt
Virtue, But, why then ior Pleafure,. lay 1, he/ere Vir*
tue ? Not that the S^refs of the Controverfy lies upon
the Or4ier onl) ; for the P^wer of it, as well as ikt Dig-
Mityt is now under Debate. It is the Office of Virtue
to fuperintend, lo lead, and to govern ; but the Parti
you have affigned it, are, to fubmit, to follow, and to
be under Command. But this, you will fay. Is nothing
to the Purpe^ i» loa^ as both Side& are agreed, that
there can be no.Happinefs without Fir tue: Take anuttp
tbatf fays Epicurus, and I am as Utik a Friend $9 Ptea/ure
ms you. The Pinch, in fliort, is this, whether Virtue
itfelf be tbeffiptcnte Qodd; er on>y (he Cadfci (jf it ? It
IS not the inverting of the Order that will clear this Point ;
(though it is a very pnepollerom Error, to iet that firi
which fhould be lail.) It does not half fo much offend
roe, ranging Pleafure before Virtue, as the very compar-
ing of them ; and the bdnging of two Oppofites, and
profeifed Enemies, into any ^rt of Competition.
. The. Drift of this Difcourie is, to fupport the Caufe
of; Benefits 9 and to prove* that ic is a mean and di&a.
Aoitrable Thing, to give, foi any Qthes End, than lor'

Giving-fakc *. He that gives forGatn» « ^. . ^
Profit, or any By-eod, dellfoys the vcty ^^'i^' ^*f>^''
Intent of Bounty ; for it faL's only upon ^'*^'^^->^'-
tfaofe that do not want ; and prevents the charitable In*
dilations of Princes and great Men» who cannot rea/bn*
ably propound to themielves any fuch End. What does
the San get by travelliog about the Univerfe ; by viiit-
ing and comfcMttng all the Corners of the Earth ? Is the
whole Creation made^ and ordered for the Good of
Mankind, and every particular Man only for the Good
of himfelf? There pafles not an Hour of our Lives^
wherein we do not e«joj the Bleffings of Providence
without Meafcrc, and without Jntermimon. And what
peiign can the Almighty have upon us, who is in hini'-
felf full, £ife, and inviolable ? If be ihould give only
for his own Sake, what would become of poor Mortals,
that have nothing to return him, at bell, but dutiful Ac-
knowledgments ? It is putting out of a Benefit to Into-
leH, only to beftow where we may place it to Advantage.
Let us be liberal then, after the Example of our great
Creator: and give toothers with the lame Confideration
that he gives to us. Epicurus * his An- « n-i -n* >
fwer to this will be. That God give^ no ^ Z ^^P'^"*"^*
Bencfits at all, but turns his Back upon ^^js ^-^v,. ^ ^r^.
the World ; and, without any Concern T^'^'^^^'^^Sto-
for us, leaves Nature to take her Conrfc : ^^^^ '^'^'*' '''
And whether he does any Thing himfelf, or nothing,
ke take* no Notice however, either of the Goodior the
ill that is done here below. If there were not an order-
ing and over-ruling Providence, How comes it (fay I on
the other Side) that the UniverfaKty of Mankind ihould
ever have fb unanimdully agreed in the Madne(s of wor*
ibipping a Power that can neither hear nor help us ?
Some Bleilings are freely given us ; otherj, upon our
Prayers, are granted us ; and every Day brings forth In-
ilances of great, and feafonable ^Mercies. There never
was yet any Man fo infeniible, as not to feel, fee, and
underdand a Deky in- the ordinary Methods of Nature ;
though many have been fo obllinately ungrateful-, as not
to confefs it : Nor is any Man fo wretched^ as not to be
a Partaker in that divine Boonty. Some Benefits, it is
true, may appear to be unequally divided. But, it is

34 SENECA Chap.XIf/

no fmall Matter yet that we poiTefs in common ; and
which Nature has beftowed upon us in her very felf. If
God be not bountiful, whence h it that we have all that
we pretend to ? That which we give, and that which
we deny; that which we lay up, and that which we
fquander away? Thofe innumerable Delights, for the
Entertainment of our Eyes, our Ears, and our Under-
ftai>dings ? Nay, that copious Matter even for Luxury
itfelf ? For, Care is taken, not only for our Neceffities,
but alfo for oor Pleafures, and for the gratifying -of all
oiU* Se'nfcs and Appetites. So many pleafant Groves,'
fruitful and iklutary Plants, fo many fair Rivet's that
{erve us, both for Recreation, Plenty> and Commerce,*'
Viciffnudes of Seafons, Varieties of Food, by Nature
made ready to our Hands, and the whole Creation itfelf
fubjedled to Mankind, for Health, Medicine, and Domi<-
nion. We can be thankful to a Friend for a few Acres,
er a little Money; and yet for the Freedom and Com*
mand of the whole Earth,' and for the great Benefits of -
our Being, our Life, Health, dnd Reafon, we kx>k upon
ourfelves as under no Obligation. If a Man bellows up*^

. on us a Houfe that is delicately beautified witli Paintings, <
Statues, Gildings, and Marble, we make a mighty Bufi*
liefs of it, and yet it lies at the Mercy of a PuiFofWkid,
and the Snuff of a Candle, and a hundred Accidents, to
lay it in the Duft. And, is it nothing now to fleep un*

^ der the Canopy of Heaven, where we have the Globe of
the Earth for our Place of Repofe, and the Glories of the
Heavens for our Spectacle f How comes it that we ihould
fo much value what we have, and yet at the iame Time
be fo unthankful for it f Whence ts.it that we have our
Breath, tKe Comforts of Light, and of Heat, the very
Blood that runs in Our Veins ? The Cattle that feed us,
and the Fruit of the Earth that feed them f Whencehave
we the Growth of our Bodies, tbeSucecflion of our Ages,
and the Faculties of our Minds ? So many Veins of Me-
tals, Quarries of Marble, Uc. The Seed of every Thing
is in itielf, and it is the Elefiing of God that raifes it out
of the dark, into Aftion and Motion. To fay nothing
of the charming Varieties of Mufic, beautiful Objefts, "
**^*ciotts Provifions for the Palate, cxquifite Perfumes,

3

Chap.XII. Of B E N E F I T S. 35

wliich are caft in over and above, to the common Nec«i^
£ties of our Being.

All this, fays Epicurus^ we are to afcribe to • Nature.
And, why not to GoJy I befeech ye ? As , q^.. , ^
if they were not both of them one and ^j

the iame Power, working in the whole, f '^ i^ ^ **
and in every Part of it. Or if you call ^^'f'^P^'^^-
him the Almighty Jupiter^ the Thunderer ; the Creator and
Pre/erver of us all ; it comes to the fame Ifluc : Some
will exprefs him under the Notion o£ Fate ; which is on*
ly a Connedlion of Caufes, and himfelf the oppermoft
and Original, upon which all the reft depend. The.
Stoicks reprefent the feveral FunSlons of the Almigbiji
Potver under feveral Appellations, When they fpeak of
him as the Father^ and the Fountain of all Beings,,
they call him Bauhus : And, under the Name of Uer^^
cit/est they denote him to be indefatigahle and invin^
tihle : Aiid in the Contemplation of him in the Reafon^
Order y Prcpprtiony and Wifdom of his Proceedings, they
call him Mercury ; So that which Way foever they look,
and under what Name foever they couch their Meaning,
they never fail of finding him : For he is every where,
and fills his own Work. If a Man (hould borrow Mo-»
ney of Seneca^ and fay that he owes it to Annausy or
Luciust he may change the Name, but not his Creditor;
for let him take which of the three Names he pleafes, he
is ft ill a Debtor to the fame Perfon. As Jufticc, Inte*
grity. Prudence, Frugality, Fortitude, arc all of them
the Goods of one and the fame Mind, fo that which fo-
ever of them pleafes. us, we cannot diftinftly fay. That
ic is this or that,' but the Mind.

But, not to carry this Digrefilon too far, that wl>:ch
God himfeif does, we are fure is well done ; and, we
are no lefs fare, tliat f for what foever he , ^, ,. .
gives, he neither wants, expects, nor re ^L
ceives any Thing in Return: So that the ^^^y*^ *
End of a Eejiefn ought to be the Advan- *^ •'^''*'*«'- *
ta^e of thelleceiver ; and that mufl be our Scope, with*
out any By -reoard to ourfclves 1 1> objected to us, tlie
£iigular Caution we prefciibe in the Choice o\ the Per-
fon ; for it were a Madncfs, we fay, for an Hulbandmaa
to fow the Sand ; Which, if true, fay they, you have

C 6

Sfi SENECA Chap: XII.

an Eye opon Profit, as well in Giving, as m Plowing
and Sowing. And then they fay ;igain, That, if the
conferring of a Benefit were defirab!e in itfelf, it woald .
have xio Dependence upon the Choice of rhe Man ; for
let OS give it when, how, or wherefoever we pleafe, it
would be fiili a. Benefit. This does not at aH affect our
Aflcrtion : For the Perfon, the Matter^ the Manner, and
the Time, are Circumftances abfoluielyneceflary to the
Reaibn of the Adions : there mull be a right Jadgment
in all Refpefls to make it a Benefit. It is my Duty to
be true to a Truil, and yet there may be a Time, or
a Place, wherein I would make Kttle Difference betwixt
the Renouncing of It, and the Delivering of it up; and
the fame Rule holds in Benefits ; I will neither render
the one, nor bellow the other to the Damage of the Re-
ceiver, A wkked Man will run all Rifks to do an In*
jury, and to compais his Revenge ; and, (hall not an
honefl Man venture is far to do a good Office ? All Be-
nefits muft be gratuitous ; a Merchant fells me the Com
that keeps me and my Family from llarving ;. but he
A>Id it for his Intered, as well as I bought it for isine ^
and fo I owe him nothing for it. He that gives for Pro-
fit,' gives to himfelf ; as a Phyfician or a Lawyer gives
Counfel for a Fee, and orvly makes uie of me for hia
dwn Ends ; as a Grazier fats his Cattle, to bring them to
a better Market. This is more properly the driving of
ft Trade, than the cuTtivating of a generous Cbmmerce*
This for That, h rather a Truck than a Benefit ; and he
deferves to be cozened, that gives any Thing in hope of
a Return. And, in truth, what End (hould a Man ho^-
nourably propound ? Not Profii fure ; that is 'vulgart and
mechanic ; and he that does not condemn it, can never
b«^ grateful. And then for Glory ^ it is a mighty Matter
y iiideed for a Man ta boafl of doing hh Duty. We are
to give^ if it were only to avoid not giving ; if any Thing
comei of it, .k is clear Gain ; aad, ^t worft, there is no-
thing loil ; befide that, one Benefit well placed, makes^
Amends for a thoufand Mifcarriages. It is not that I
would exclude the Benefaflor neither, for being himfelf*
the better for the good Office he does for another.
Some tliere are that do us Good only for their own
Sakes ; others fox ouri; aad i'omo again (tjt. both. He

Oop. Xir.. or . B B N E F I T S. fj

Aat does for me in common with \nmk\ff if he had a
?to(fcGt upon both in the doing of it ; I am oblieed to
bim for it, and glad with all layHtaxi that he had m
Share in it. Nay* I were imgratefitl, and unjuft> if 1
fliodd not rejoice, that what was beneficial to me, might
be fi) likewise to himfelf.

I'o pa(fl now to the Matter of Gratttudey and * J»-

gratitude ; there never was any Man yet ^^ % jtiMg j ^

wicked, as not to approve of the one, and ^ r * /"

deleft the other ; as the two Things in the '^^ ^'^g^j-

whole World, the one to be the moft abo- fff' "^f ^'"^'

•naated, the other the moftefleemed. The '^ ^^»'''^>

rttf Stoiy of an ungrateful AAioa pots us oat of aU Pati*'

ence, and gives as a Loathing for the Author of it. 7W

inhuman yUlain^ we cry, to dofo horrid a Thing : Not that

"uonfiJera/o Foo/,/or omiuing/o profitable a Virtue : which

plainly ihews the Senfe we nataralty have, both of the

(|oe and of the other, and that we are led to it by a com-

saon InQpalie of Reafon, and of Confcience. Epicurus fan-'

cics God to be without Power, and witliout Arms ; above

Fear himfelf, and as little to be feared. He places him

petwixt the Orbs, folitary and idle, out of the Reach of,

Mort^ds, and neither hearing our Prayers, nor minding^

<{Qr Concerns > and allows him only fuch a Veneration'

and Refpeil as* we pay to our Parents* If a Man (hould

?k kim now, why any Reverence at all, if we have no

Obligation to him ? Or^ather, Why that greater Reve-

'^nce to his fortuitous Atoms ? His Anfwer woilld be»

That it is for their Majefty, and their admirable Nature,

and not out of any Hope or Expectation from them*

So that by his proper Coofeflxon, a Thing may be deiir-

aWe for its own Worth. But, fays he, Gratitude is a

Virtue that has commonly Profit annexed to it. And

^Wc is the Virtue, fay I, that has not ? But ftill the

Virtue is to be valued for itfelf, and not for the Profit

^at attends it : There is no Queftion but Gratitude for

Benefits received, is the ready way to procure more >

and in requiting one Friend we encourage many ; but

^VCe Accefiions fall in by the bye ; and, if I were fure

^^at the doing of good Offices would be my Ruin, J

Vould yet purliie them. He that vifics the Sick, in hope»

S« SENECA Chap. Xilt

^f a Legacy, let him be never fo friendly in all other
CkCeSf I look Qpon him in this to be no better than a Ra-
ven, that watches a weak Sheep, only to peck out the
Eyes of it. We never give with fo much Judgment or
Care, as when we confider the Honefty of the Adtton,
without any Regard to the ProEt of it ; for our Under*
landings are corrapted with Fear, Hope, and Pleaiure.

CHAP. XIII.

Y7?ere are many Caps wherein a Man may he minded
of a Benefit y hut it is very rarely to be challenged^
and never to be upbraided,

IF the World were wife, and as honeft as it (hould
be, there would be no need of Caution or Precept,
how to behave ourfelves in our feveral Situations and Du-
ties; for, both the Giver and the Receiver would do
what they ought to do of their own Accord: The one
would b^ J)ountiful, and the other grateful ; and the on*
ly Way of minding a Man of one good Turn, would be
the following it with another. But as the Cafe ftands,
we mud take other Meafures, and confult, the beH we
can, the common Eafeand Relief of Mankind.

As there arc feveral forts of* ungrateful Men, fo the*e "*
♦ n- / / muft be icveral wayS of dealing with

t,n7lZituJe ^^^^ \ ^"^^'' ^y ^-rtifice, Counfel, Ad-^
0/ ngra I u . jyjQj^jjjQj^^ pp Reproof, accorditig to tlie

Humour of the Perfon, and tnc Degree of the Offence:
Provided always that as well in the reminding a Man of a
Benefit as in the bedowirjg of it, the Good of the Recei\ er
be the piincipal thing intended, "i here is a curable In-
gratituie, and an incurable ; there is a flothful, a ne*
gleeful, a proud, a diiiemUing, a dlfclaiming, a heed-
l-fs, a forgetful, and a malicious Ingratitude; and 'die
Application m\i\\ be fuited to the Matter we have to
work upon. A gentle Nature may be reclaimed bv
Authority, Advice, or Reprehenfion ; a Father, a Huf»
band, a Friend may do good in the Cafe. There are a
.fort of lazy, an^ flugg^iSi People, that live as if they

Chap. Xm. Of B E N E F I T S. )<;

were aHeep, moil be lugged and pinched to vir^ke theni. '
Thefe Men are betwixt grateful and angratefnl ; they
mil neither deny an Obligation, nor return it^ and only
want quickning. I will do all I can to hinder any Man
from ill-doing, but efpeciatly a Friend ; and yet mo:e
e/peciall/ from doing ill to me. I will mb op his Me-
mory with new Benefits : If that will not ittyt^ I will
proceed to good Counfel, and from thence to Rebuke :
Jf all fails, I will look upon him as a defperate Debtor^
and even let him alone in his Ingratitude^ without mak- '
lag him my Enemy ; for no Neceffity (hall ever make
me fpend time, in wrangling with any Man upon that'
Point.

* Assiduity of obliging ftrikes upon the Coafcience, •
as well as the M/nnory, and purfaes an ^^ p ^
ungrateful Man, till he become gratcfiil : -. .^JV^^^«^^^ '
I^onc good Office will not do it, try a '" ^^^'^'*^-
fecond, and then a third. No Man can be fo thanklefs^ :
bot either Shame, Occafion or Example, will at (bme
time or other prevail upon him. The very Bcafts them*,
felves, eveii Lions and Tigers, are gained by good Vi-
age : Befide that one Obligation docs naturally draw on
aaother ; and a Man would not willingly leave his own
Work imperfed. / hante belptd bim thus far^ and /'
•u;/// tvin go through *wijh it novj. So that Over -^ and
above the Delight, and the Virtue of Obliging, one good
Turn is a Shoeing^born to another. This of all Hiots»
is perhaps the moft efiedoal^ as well as the jnoft ge«
nerous. « . .

In ibme f Cafes it. mud be carried more home ; as in
that of Julius Cit/ary who, as he was i r > ^ ^
hearing a Caufe, tlie Defendant fioding '^ {!y°''^' ^^>
himfelf pinched ; 5/r,fayshe, Dojftunot ^^j^*^^/*

rtmember a^tratn you got tn jour Jincle^ yT/
nuhen you eommamded in SpBin, and that a -^ ' .
Soldier lent you hit Cloak for a Cujhion^ -upyn the Top of a
eraggy R'ock^ uftierthe Shade of a little Tree in the Heat of
the Day ? 1 remember it perfeBly nmlly (ays Cajary and thai
fwhen I *w4is ready to choke <uifith ThirjU ^^ honefl Ftilotxt .
fetched me a raught of Water in bis HeU.et* B<4t^
tint Man and that liehnety (fays the Soldier) does Caedir
th%n\ th^t hi cckjild not kno^w them again if he Java them ^

4f SENECA ChAp.XlSL

Tie Mam ftrdnmt* I wiigbt^ {(tty^ defar ibinewtttt o&
fcaded) hut n^t tbi Helmet; hut •ufhat is thuSttry to my
Bu/iue/s ? Tou are mm of the Mam. Farthm mte, Sir^ fays
tke Soldier, / am that nfery Mami Imt Cx£ir-ma^ ^weil
forget me^ for I have been trepaumod fimce^ and hft ate
Eye at the Battle of Munda, lAfhere that Uebmettoe bmd
the Houour to he cleft 'with a Spanifli Biade. Oefar toc^
it as it was mtended ; and it was an faonoorabk and a
pnident Way of refrdhing his Memory. But this would
not have gone down {o well witb'7/^mfM; for, when
an old Acquaintance of his began hia Addre6 tt» him,
with You reamemher^ d^^r, — iVir, fays Carjar, .(cutting
him fhort) / do mot remember <wbat I IF AS, Now^
with him, it was better to be forgotten, than remem-
bered; for, an old Friend was as bad. as an Jetfermerm
It is a common Thing for Men to hate the Autboia
of their Preferment, as the Witnefles of thdr mean Ori>
giaal.

There ace ibme People well enough di^fed to be

•• c.-.- v..*.h *gTatcful, bnt they cannot hit upon it

Uh a^ widiout a Prompter: they are a Utile like

yT'^fkLj School- boys, that have treacherous Nfe-

•^* / t? dories ; it is but helping them here and

arromfier. ^y^^^^ ^^^ a Word, when they flick*

aid they will go throuj^h with their Lefiba : they muft
be taught to be thaakhil, and it is a fair Step if we can
but bring diem^o be witHng^.,and only offer at it. Somie
Benefits we have negleded^ IbftMrWe are not willing to
remember. He is ungrateful that difbwns an Obhgation ;
and fo is he that diflembles it, or» to his Pomgvcjt, does
not requite it; bat, the wotft of all is he that forgets it*
Cbnfcience or Occafion may revive the reft, but here»
the very Memory of it is. loft« Thofe Eyes that can*
not endure the Light are weak, bet thefe are (lark blind
that cannot fee k. I do not love to hear People fay*
Aias! f9or Meetiy be has forgotten it. As if that were
an Excufe of Ingratitude, which is the very Cau(e of it :
For if he were not ungrateful, he would not be forgetful^
and lay that out of the way, which (hould be always
uppermoft; and in fight. He that thinks as he ought
to do, of requiting a Benefit, is in no Danger of forget?
ting it. There axe indeed fome Benefits & great> that

Oiap. Xllt OfBENBFITS.- 41

they can never ilip the Memory; bot^ tho(e which are
iefs in value, and more m number, do commonly efcape
us. We are apt enough to acknowledge that Juth a
Man has been the making of us\ fo long as we are in
PoiIefik>n of the Advantage he has brought us ; but new
Appetites deface old Kindnefles, and we carry our Pro^
'pe^ forward to ibmething more, without coniideriog
what we have obtained already. All that is pad we give
for loft ; io that we are only intent upon the future*
When a Benefit is once out of Sight, or out of Uie» it is
buried.
• It is the Freak of many People, they cannot do %

r)od Office; but they are prefently » «-/ ' a i»
boafting of it. drunk or fober : and a- J^^'^^f^
boiit it goes in all Companies, what won- /^ d r! '
dcrful things they have done for this ^ ^*^ '*
Man, and what for the other. A foolifh and a dange*
rous Vanity ; of a doubtful Friend, to make ^ certaia
Enemy. For, thefe Reproaches, and Contempts, will
fct every Body's Tongue a walking; and People wiQ
conclude* That thefe Things woi^d never be, if there
were not ibmething very extraordinary in the Bottom of
It. When it comes to that once, there is not any Ca^
^mnvbut faAens, more or lefs, nor any Falfhood fo in-
credihley but in &me part or other of it, (hall pais for a
Troth. Our ig;reat Miilake is this, we are ilill inclined
to nuke the moil of what we give, and the leaflof what
We receive ; whereas we (hould do tlie clean contrary,
li might ha*iu been moref but he had a great many to oblige^
It tvoj as much as he conld 9Jt3eli /pare ; he ivill make it ttp
fftme other time, &c. Nay, we ihould be fo hx from
making Publication of our Bounties., as not to hear them
to much as mentioned, without fweetning the Matter :
As, Alas ! I owe him a great deal more than that comes to.
If it fwere in my power toJer*ve him, IJbould be very glad of
it. And, this too'not with the Figure of a Compliment*
but with all Humanity, and Truth. There was a Man
of Quality, that, in the Triuihviral Proicription, was
/aved by one of Cafdr^^ Friends, who would be.fiUl
M^itting him with it, who it was. that preferved him»
|hd telling him over and over, Tou had gone to Pot^
J*/ iendi but for me. Fray ;/, fays the profcribcd, kt

42 SENECA Chap.XIir.

fne hear no more of this ^ or e'ven leave me as you found me :
I am thankful enough of my f elf to aQknoucledge^ that I
exveyou my Life y but it is Death to have it rung in my
Ears perpetually as a Rtproach : It looks as. if you bad
pntyfaved me, to carry me about for a Spe^acle. I nvculd •
fain forget the Mi fortune y that I ivas once a Prifoner^
^without being led in Triu?nph every Day cf my Life,

Oh ! * the Pride and Folly of a great Fortune, that
» z> turns Benefits into Injuries ! that delights

* home BOUH' . t? n- J j-r ^1 •

la m fexcelles, and dif^ races every thine

ties are De/to<w* . , , „/, .,,=» . "^ ^i.- ^

d tui'ih Iff. does! Who would receive anything

. ^' from it upon thefe Terms? the higher

it raifes us, the more fordid it makes us.
Whatfoevcr it gives, it corrupts. What is there in it
that.ftiould thus puff us up? By what Magic is it thak
we are fo transformed, that we do no longer know
•urfelves ? Is it impoflible for Greatnefs to be liberal with-
out Info4ence ? The Benefits that we receive from our
Superiors are then welcome, when they come with
an open Hand and a clear Brow: without cither Con-
tumely or State ; and fo as to prevent our Neceflities.
The Benefit is never the greater for the making of a
Buftle and a Noife about it : but the Benefadlor is mucH
the lefs for the Oftentation of his good Deeds ; which
makes that odious to us, which would be otherwife de-
lightful. Tihifius h^d gotten a Trick, when any Man
begged Money of him, to" refer them to the Senate,
-where all the Petitioners were to deliver up the Names
of their Creditor?, His End perhaps was, to deter Men
from A (king, by e^jcpofing the Condition of their For-
tunes to an Examination. But it was however a Benefit,
turned into a Reprehenfion ; and he made a Reproach of
a Bounty.

But t it is not enough yet to forbear the calling of a
J. r L An r Benefit in a Man's Teeth r for there

Manma berimtt ^'^ ^^""^ ^^^^ ^'*" ^^^ ^^^^"^ *^ ^"^ ^^
anmay erimn- ^^ much as challenged. For, an J!l

didofa Benefit. ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^.^j^^^ ^^j^^ ^ ^^

turn, though it be demanded, and a good Man will do
it of himfelf : And then the Aflcing of it feems to torn
it into a Debt. It is a kind of Injury to be too quick
with the former; for> to call upoa him 'too foon, 4:e«

Cl«p. XIIi: Of B E N E F I T S. j^]

proach^s him, as if he would not have done it other*
wife. Nor would [ recal a Benefit from any Mslu, fo a^
to force it ; but, only to receive it. If I let him quite
alone, I make myfelf guilty of his Ingratitude; and
ondo him for want of Plain-dealing. A Father reclaim^
a difcbedient Son ; a Wife reclaims a difTolute Huf-
band ; and one Friend excites the languiOiing Kindneis
of another. How many Men are loft, for want of
being touched to the quick ? So long as I am not pre/Ied,
I will rather defire a Favour than To much as mention
a Requital ; bat if my Country, my Family, or my Liber-
ty be at Stake* my Zeal and Indignation (hall over-rule
my Modefty, and the World (ball tken underftand, tha't
I have done all I could,- not to ftand in need of an
ungrateful Man. And in Conclufion, the Neceflity of
receiving a Benefit fhail overcome the Shame of. recal-
ling!'. Nor is it only allowable upon fome Exigent'i
to put the Receiver in Mind of a good Turn, but it
is many times for the conunon Advantage of botU
Parties.

/

■•

CHAP. XIV. :

IIow far to ohligi or requite a 'wicked Man*

T HER £ are fome Benefits, whereof a wicked Man
is wholly kicapablc. Of which hereafter. There
afe others, which are bellowed upon him, not for his
own Sake, but for fecondary Reafons; and, of thefe, we
have fpoken in Part, already. There are moreover per-
tain common Offices of Humanity, which arc only allow-
ed him as he is a Man, and without any Regard, either
to Vice, or Virtue. To pafs over the firft Pomt ; the fe-
cond mud be handled with Care, and Diftin^ion, and
not without ibme feeming Exceptions to the general
Rule< As fir^ Here is no Choice ^ or Intention in the
Cale, but it is a good Office done him by fome By-inte^
reft^ or Chance^ Secondly, There is no Judgment in it
neither, for it ii to a ^wiekid^Man. But to fhorten the
Matter s without tbefc Ciramiflances it is not properly

44 S E N E C A^ Ckap. XIV,

» Benefit ; or at leaA not to him : for it looks another
Way. I refcoe a Frienid from Thieves, and the other
efrapes for Company. I ditcharge a Debt for a Friend,
anti the other comes oiF too, for theyVere both in a
Bond. The third is of a great Latitude, and varies ac-
cording to the Degree of Generofity on the one fide, and
<^ Wickednefs on the other. Some Benefa£lors will fu-
pererogate, and do more than they are bound to do.
And fome Men are fo lewd, that it is dangerous to do
them any ibrt of Good ; no not fo much as by way of
Return or Requital*

* If the Benefa^or's Bounty muft extend to the bad,
• cr a ih AS well as to the eood ; put the Cale
tffui promjle a good Office to an un-

uMgra fj grateful Man ; we are firft to didinguii^
(as is faid before} betwixt a. common Bc'-
yntfit^ znd z Per/otia/ i betwixt what is given fov Merits
and what for Company, SecondJy, whether or no we
know the Per/bn to be ungrateful, atid can reafbnablj
conclude that his Vice U'ineurable. Thirdly, a Confider*
ation mud be had of the Fromifey how far that may
oblige us. The two firil Points are cleared both ia
bne. We cannot Juftify' any particular Kindnefs fer
one that we conclude to be4t hopelefly wicked. Man : So
that the Force of the Promife is the fingle Point in the
Queflion* In the Promke of a good Office to a wicked
or ungrateful Man, I am to blame if I did it know*
ingly ; and I am to blame aeyo-thelefs, if I did it otbeiw
wne: But mu&yet make it good. (under, doe Qualift-
cations) becaufe I promifed it ; that is ^ fay. Mattes
continuing in the iame State* far no Man is anfwerabk
for Accidents. I will A^p at foch a Place, though it be
cold ; I will ri(e at fach an Hour,. though I be (leepy ;^ but
if it prove tempefluous, or that I fall fick of a Fever, I
will neither do the one, nor the other. I promise to io-
cond a Friend in a Qoarrel, or to plead his Caufe ; and
when I come into the Field, or into the Cowt, it proves
to be againil my Father or my Brother : 1 prcnnife tc go
a Journey with him ; but, there is no travelling u|>Qfi the
Road for Robbing; aiy Child is fallen lipk; or my Wife
in Labour : Theie Circumftances are fufiicieot to dii-
charge me; for a Promife againil Law or Duty^ i» void

Chap. XIV. Of B EN E F 1 T S.

in its own Nature. The Counfels of a wife Man are a
tain ; but Events are uncertain. And yet, if I have ps
fed a ra(h Promifer I will in feme Degree pani(h the T
merit/ pf making It, whli the Damage of keeping
unlefs it tarn very much to my Shame* or Detriment; a:
then I will be my own Confeflbr in the Point, and rath
be once guilty of denying, than always of gnring. It
not with a Benefit as with a Debt : It is one thing to tn
an ill Pay-mafter, and another thing to oUige an anwc
thy Peribn ; the one is an ill Man, and the o|Ler only
31 Hufband. . -

There was a valiant Fellow in the Army» that Fbi
of Macedon took particular Notice of; and he gave hi
feveral confiderable Marks of the Kindnefs he had i
him. This Soldier puts to Sea, and was ca(l away u
on a Coaft where a charitable Neigfhbour took him i
half dead, carried him to his Hou(e, and there at 1
own Charge maintained, and provided for him thii
Days, until he was perfectly recovered : and after s,
fumi^ed him over and above with a Viaticum at par tin
The Soldier told him the mighty Matters that he won
do for him in Return, fo foon as he (hould have the I \
nour once again to fee his Mailer. To Court he gc i
tells Fhilip of the Wreck, but not a Syllable of his 1 1
ierver, and begs the Eftate of this very Man that k ■
him alive. It was with Philips as with many oi i
Princes, that give they know not what, efpecially i
Time of War. He granted the Soldier his Reqi :
contemplating at the fame time the ImpoiBbility of f
fying fo many ravenous Appetites as he. had to ph i
When the good Man came to be turned out of all
was not fo mealy-mouth'd as to thank his Majefly fo: i
giving away his Perfon too, as well as his Fortune :
m a bold frank Letter to PhiUp^ made a jufl Rep(
the whole Story. The King was fo incenied at tl: .
bufe, that he immediately commanded the right Q
to be reilored to his ERate, and the unthanlcful < •
and Soldier to be ftigmatized for an Example to o
Should Philip now have kept his Promife? .Firft, h i
ed the Spldier nothing. Secondly, it Would have
injurious and impious. And laflly,^ a Precedent o i
geroiM Coalequcnce to human Society, For, it i

46 SENECA Chap. XI \r,

have been little lefs than an loterdidion of Fire and Wa-
ter to the Miferable, to have inflidled fuch a Penalty up-
on relieving them. So that there mufl be always fome
tacit Exception, or Rcferve: ^/r4Mr, If I may y or If
matUrs continue at they voere.

• If it (hoold be my Fortune to receive a Benefit from

mTi r r r one that afterwards betrays his Country^
J»e ^Jt of an , ^^^^^ ^.,j ^^^^^ r^y^^ obliged to

Vbitgatt.nfrom ^^^ y^^ ^^^^ ^ Requiul as might ftand
one that after' . , _ 1 1- fs . t U

J L . L2, w^^" ™y public Duty. I would not

Contr ^"'"^^ ^*"* ^^'^ ^™'' °°' ^'^^ Money,

oun ry, ^^ Credit, to levy, or pay Soldiers;'

bat I (hould not ftick to gratify him at my own Ex-
pence, with fuch Curiofities as might pleafe him one
way/ without doing Mifchief another; I would not do
srfy thing that might contribute to the Support, or hdi-
vaDtage of his Party. But, what ftiould I do now in
the Cafe of a Benefaftor, that Ihould afterwards become^
not only mine and my Country's Enemy, but the com-
mon Enemy of Mankind ? I would here diilinguiib be-
twixt the Wickednefs of a Man, and the Cruelty of a
Bcaft ; betwixt a limited or a particular Pafilon ; and a
fanguinary Rage, that extends to the Hazard and De-
ftruftion of human Society. In the former Cafe I would
cjuit Scores, that I might have no more to do with him ;
but, if be comes once to a Delight in Blood, and to a6t
oiitragious with Greedincfs ; to ftudy and invent Tor-
jncnL«i, and to take Pleafure in them ; the Law of Rea-
fbnable Nature has difcharged me of fuch a Debt. But
this is an Impiety fo rare, that it might pafs for a Por-
tent, and be reckoned among Comets, and Monfters.
Ler us therefore reflrain our Difcourfe to fuch Men as
wc deteft with Horror ; fuch Men as we fee every Day.
in Courts, Camps, and upon the Scats of Juftice: to
fuch wicked Men 1 will return what I have received,
without making any Advantage of their Unrighteoufnefs,
It does not divert the Almighty f from being ftill

A D -J • gi'acious, though we proceed daily in
t Vron:tdef>€its ^j^^ ^^^^^ ^^ j^.^ Bounties, How many

^"^ w"'lT sf« ^^^y ^^«' ^«iov the Comforts of the
tbt vtuked. jjgj^^ ^y^^^ ^^ ^^^ 6t^x^^ it ; that wifli

diey had never been born j and yet Nature goes guict-

r

Ciap. XIV. Of B J: N E F I T S. 47

ly on with her Work, and allows them a Being* even
in Defpite of their Unthankfulnefs ? Such a Knave*
we.cry» was better ufed than I. And, the iame Com-
plaint we extend to Providence itfelf. How many
wicked Men have good Crops, when better than them-
felves have their Fruits blafted ? Such a Man, we (ay,
has treated me very ill. Why, what fhould we do,
but that very thing which is done by God himfelf ?
That is to fay, Give to the Ignorant, and perievere to
the Wicked. AH our Ingratitude, we fee, does not turn
Providence from pouring down of Benefits, even upon
thefe that queftion whence they come. The Wjfdom of
Heaven does all things with a Regard to the Good of the
Univerfe, and the Bleilings of Nature are granted in
common to the worft, as well as to the beft of Men ; for,
they live promifcuoufly together ; and it is God's Will,
that the Wicked (hall rather fare the belter for the
Good, than that the Good lliould fare the worfe for the
Wicked ) It is true that a wife Prince will confer peculiar
Honours only upon the Worthy ; but in the dealing of
a public Dole, there is no refped had to the Manners of
the Man ; but a Thief or a Traitor, fhall put in for a
Share as well as an honeft Man. If a good Man, and a
wicked Man, (ail both in the fame Bottom, it is impof-
lible that the fame Wind, which favours the one, fliou-d
. crofs the other. The common Benefits of Laws, Pri-
vileges, Communities, Letters and Medicines are per-
nvitted to the Bad, as well as to the Good ; and no M;n
ever yet fupprefled a fovereign Remedy, fcr fear a vvic- .
ked Man might be cured with it. Cities are built fcr
both forts, and the fame Remedy works upon boih alike.
In thefe Cafes, we afe to ft an ElUmate upon the Per-..
fbns : There is a Difference betwixt the chufing of a
Man, and the noc excluding him : The Law is open to
the RebdJious, as well as to the Obedient : There are
fome Benefits, which if they were not allowed to all, ■
could not be enjoyefl by any. The Sun was never made
for me, but for the Comforc of the World, and for the
providential Order of the Seafons ; and yet t am not
wiihout my private Obligation alfo. To conclude, he
that will not oblige the Wicked and Ungrateful, mull
xcfolve to oblige no body ; for in fome fort or other, we

4« SENECA . Chap. XIV.

are all of us widsied^ we are all of ixs ungrateful, eVerjr
Man of us.

We have been 3i(courfing all this while how far a •

m J ' L J wicked Man may be obliged, and the

A yncke ^^^y^^^ ^^^l us, at laft, that he cannot be

bUoflTe^i °^^Se^ ^^ ^"- ^"^^ they-make him in-
V ^ ^ y* • capable of any Good, and confeqaently

of any Benefit. But, he has this Advantage, that if he
cannot be obliged, he cannot be ungrateiiil : For if he
cannot receive, he is not bound ta return : On die o-
ther fide, a good Man, and an ungrateful, are a Con-
tradiftion : So that at this Rate, there is no fuch thing-
as Ingratitude in Nature. They compare a wicked
Man's Mind to a vitiated Stomach, he corrupts what-
ever he receives, and the beft Nourifhment turns to the
Difeafe. But, taking this for granted, a wicked Mao
may yet be fb far obBgcd, as to pafs for ungrateful, if
he does not requite what he receives. For, though it
be not a perfeft Benefit, yet he receives fomething lite
it. There are Goods of the Mind, the Body, and of
Fortune. Of the firfl fort, Fbols, and wicked Men are
wholly incapable ; to the reft they may be admitted.
But why (hould I cal] any Man ungrateful, you will fay,
for not reftoring that which I deny to be a Benefit ? I
anfwer. That if the Receiver take it for a Benefit, and
fails of a Return, it is Ingratitude in him; for that
which goes for an Obligation among wicked Men, is an
Obligation upon them : and they may pay one another in
theirown Coin ; the Money is cur rent, whether it be Gold,
or Leather, when it comes once to be authorifed. Nay,
Cleanthes carries it further ; he that is wanting, fays he,
to a kind Office, though it be no Benefit, would have
done the fame Thing if it had been one ; and is as guil-
ty as a Thief is, that has fet his Booty ; and b already
armed, and mounted, with a purpofe to feize it, though
he has not yet drawn Blood. Wicked nefs is formed in
the Heart ; and the matter of Fadl is 'only the Difcove-
ry, and the Execution of it. Now, though a wicked
Man cannot either receive or beftow a Benefit,, becaufe
lie wants the Will of doing Good, and for that he is no
longer wicked when Virtue has taken Pofleffion of him j
yet we commonly call it one, as we call a Man ilUteiate

i

Cliap. XVr. Of B E 2^ E F I T S. 49

that is not learaedy and naked that is not well dad $ not
hat that the one can read, and the other is covered.

i^ii<,<»ii^«»»»»^»i^iiiiafai— ■— **^i— ^ II Will II iii

CHAP. XV.

J general View of the Parts and Dxtin 9f tht

Benefa£lor^

TH E three main Points in the <iucdion of Benefit*,
.are, firfl, ^judicUus Cboict in the O^je^; fecond-
i^» in the Matur €>i our Benevolence \ an4 thirdly, a
gnitefol.fi//V/(r in the Mamner of exprefiing it. But there
Bjie a[lb incufnbent upon theBenef;^or 01 her Confidera-
liona* whii^h will deterve a Place in. this Difcour/e.
. , IrJs.not enough to do one good Tqroy and to do it
with a epod Grace, too, onleis we follow u with morey
And wimont either • Upbraiding, or Re- ^ -. , .. .
pinibg. It id a common Shift, to charge ^i'^^nT
that «pon thelngratiiiide of the Receiver, "^f ^'ff^'^'
which,, in tmtk, is mod commonly the rfv^'i*^'''
LevityandliidifcreuonoftheGiver ; for, ^P^!'\^»g ^^
all Circawafianceai muft be duly weighed^, f^^imng.
to CQiirttniaiate (he A^ion. ^ome th«:rc are that we find
4ingrateful^ but, what with our Forwardncfs, Cliangeof
Homottr, aad Reproaches, there are more that we make
fa AiidtbisJl.thpBuftpefs; We give witH Defign, «nd
inoft.to tlicfeib^tAre al^l^ pgive moil again. We give fo
the coyetdU9k. ^xi^.Xf^ .{he, anxbitigus ; «> thofe that ca^i
never be thahkfal ^ ljieirDedr^& are.infatiable} and \^
thofe that ati//nO|. i He that is .a. Tribune, wpuld be a
Pnctor, the Pfaetoj^ Copful ; never refl^jfling upon'wha^
iie msas^ biit only looking forward to what he<u;(7;^/^ b(v
People are ftill CQIpp^lting* il/wy^ f lofe this^ or that Be.
wfit f If it be Ipft, th^ Fau^t lies in the ill bellowing of
it;.for« righUlxipbced^ '! ?s-^;Sttod as contecrajtcvi ^ if
webedeceive^inanothei;, Ijst u$ nof be deceived i^i
oarfelves.too. A ehariublq Man will mend the Mauer,
and fey to himfelf, Perhaps ht has fyrgot it \ptixhafKe he
couJdstoi^ ftrhaps ^ wilt yet requite, it, A patient Cr«^-
ditor wiil> of an ill Pay mailer, in Timej make a gpo^i

D

5* SENECA ChajHXy.

one ; an obftinate Goodnefs ovefcomes «a ill Diipofr*
tion ; as a barren Soil is made friiitfal by Care and Til-
lage. Bat let a Man be nover fo nngratefol* or Jnhu-
man, hHfaali n e v er d eftr o y t he S a t iafeftioi i of - aay t a v i ng
done a good Office.
* But, what i^^ibtps witt be Wibkefl ? Does it follow

*Wt i?Mr* *^^ ^^ "'"^ htXo too? iiotkers will be
/• _*'?^^* ungrateful, niuft we therefore be inhuman?
/even tn atH rr»® • ' j ^ %^r • .l- u ..<.
' r^ J To give, and to role, is nothing ; bat to
tng ^09a. ,^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^y^ ^j j^ j^ ^^ p^j ^^ ^ g^^^j

Mind. And the other's, m i^fiefla is the greater Ijofs ;
for, the one does bat lole his Benefit and (be other bit^s
him&If. The L^ht ffiines iip<^ the Fkiphaiie ^and Sfl
crileglons, hs well as trpon the Righteous. Uolv afaay
Dtfappotntments do we meet #ith -in oor Wnres,- jad
Childten; and yet we couple lUlt? Me (hut has. left
one Biitde, hazards another. *Y\^ Mariner pats to Sea
again after a Wreck. An inaflribasMind does not -inroi-
pofe the Profit t>f a good Office, but the Duty. If.the
World be wiclced, Mre ftould yet i^kytH in Welfc
doing, even among evil Men. I had ^nithat newr ]«<>
ceive a Kindnef^, than never befhytv one : NottOrMCilni
a Benefit is the p'eaUr Sin, but isot to c^i^er i^ is the
earlier. We cannot pro^pb^ to ouKbh^ a «Mfe glori«
cus Example, than that of the ^Amighty, wha ocishcr
needs nor expe£b any TiHifg from as; and yet 1^' is
jcontintialty fhowering down, and diftributing his Mercies
and his Grace; among us, ; not 6nly ^'OttrtNeoeffittea»
but aifo for our Delights ; as F¥i(i%, ^id Stsfeos v^B^ma,
and Sanfhine ; Veins oF Wa^r^ iuf^dF Metal :. and ail
this to the Wicked, as wel^as to tlie &Md> Jiad with*
out any other End than the eomtfion B^elit of lihe &e*
ceivers. With what F^ce then can wa brmercenary one
to another, that have' received all Thfaigs^^m dtvine
Providence gratii f It ts a cottlmon {wjkA^^dgA'oefuck^
. tr/iub a Man, fo much Money- ; / 'tv9iUd I idd ihremm i/
into iheSea. And yet the Merchant ^adiss again Ufter
a Piracy ; and the Banker ventures iafi«fl^ aft^v hsA
Security. He tliat will do no gt>od Oftces after aiDif*
appointment, muft ftand flill, and do juft nothing at all.
I'he Plough goes on after a b^ren Year; nid whil^'tbe
A&es are ^et warm, we raife a new-'Hottievpon xku$

Chap. XV. Of B E N £ F I T S. $t

Rakis of a former. What Obligations can be giealer

than thofie whidi Children recdve from their Parenti ?

And yet, (hoold we give them over in their Infancy, it

were all to no Pnrpofe : Beaefiu, Kk^ Gram, moil ba

followed from the Seed to ^^Harvefl. 1 will not io

Bittch as leave any Place for logratitudr* I will purfMie*

mid I wiM encompafs the Receiver with Beocfiu ; fy th^r*

let him look which Way he will, his Benefador (hall be

Hill in his Eye, even when he woold avoid his own Me»

mory. And then I will remit to one Man, becsoTe he

calls for it ; to another» bccaafe he does not; to a third*

becasfe he is wicked ; and to a fourth, becanie he is the

contrary. I will caft away a good Torn upon a bad Man^

and I will requite a good one. The one, becanie it is my

I>nty ; the other, that I may not be in his Debt. I do

ix>t love to hear any Man complaiov That he has met

with a thankkls Man* If he has met but with one, he

has either been very fortunate, or vci^ careful. Afid

yet Care is not fuffictent. For, there is no Way to;e«

linpe iJie Hazard of lofing a Benefit, but the not beftow-

in y of it ; and to negledl a Doty to royielf, for fear ano*.

ther flioold abuie it. It is anetJber*s Fault, if he be uu»

grateful, but it is fnim^ if i do not give. To find one

thaokful Msn; i willoblige a ereat many that are not

{o. The Bufinefs oFMankind would tie at a Stan4»

if we ihould do nothing for fear of Mifcarriages jn

Matters of uncertain Event. I wi)l try, and believe all

Things, before I give any Man over, and do all that is

polfible, tbst I; may not lofe a good OiEce, and a Fnead

together. What do I kaow, but ife may m^fw^r^

fiaui tbt Ohligaikn f Bufin^s may bay § put it out ofl^h

^Jhoil^ or t4^em him off ftom it : He may ha^ueJUpt its

Opportunity : I will fay, in Excufe of human Weakneis,

That one Man^s Memory is not fuffident for all Thing's.:

Iris buttjf a Hmited Capacity, fo-^- to "hold only fo

much, and no more i and when it is once full, it muft

let out Part of what it had, to take in any Thing befide ;

and ti&e }t& Benefit ever fits dofeit to us. Jn our Youth*

we forget the Obligations of our Infancy; and when we

•re Men, we forget thofe of our Youth. If nothing

will prevail, let him keep what he has, and welcome ;

iNit let hUn have a Care of letaming Evil for Good, ai^d

D a

5-2 SENECA Chap..XVL

snaking it<!angeroQS For a Man to do his Duty. X would
no more give a Benefit to fuch a Man, than I would lend
Money to a beggarly Spendthrift; or depofiie any in

* the Hand of a kndwn Knight f>fthe Poft, However the
' Cafe flandsy an ungralefal Perfon is never the better for

^ Reproach ; if he be already hardened in his Wicked-

- neff» he gives no heed to it ; and, if he be not» it turns a
' doubtful Modefly into an incorrigible Impudence : beiide

* that, he watches for ill Words, to pick aQuafrel with them.

* As the Benefa^or is not to upbraid a Benefit, A>

• 7-1 A /.neither to delay it: The one is tirefome,

' ' b nD! ®"^ ^^^ ^^^^ °^^^"*- ^^ """^ ^'^^ ^"""^^

* • ^ *T J'^^ ^^^ '" hand, as Phyficians and Suj-geoiis

^^ B it ^^ '^*''* Pa^'«»^S' *n^ ^e^P ^^ ^ongc'^ «n

• ^ * ^^«{A^* Ye9j and Pain than needs, only tcr magnify

the Cure. A generous Man gives eafily ; and receives
fts he gives, but ncvei- exa£l5# He rejoices in the Re-
turn, and judges favourably of it whatever it be, and
contents hiikifelf with a bare Thank for a Requital. It
is a harder Matter with fome to get the Benefit after it

- is promlfcd, than the ^2t Promile of it ; tbefe muft be
' fo many Friends made in the Cafe. One mud be de-

ilred to folicit another;- and he muft be intreated to
move a third ; and a fourth mud be at laft b^fought to

• receive it; fo that the Author, upon the CJplhot, has
the leaft Share in the Obligation. It is then welcome
when it coihes frtt, and without DeduQion ; and no
Man cither to intercept or hinder, or to detain it. And
let it be of fuch a Quality too, that if be not only de«
lightful in the Receiving, but after it i's received ; which
H will certaii^y be, if we. do but obfcrve this Rule, Ne«
ver do any Thing for another, which we would not ho-
nedly defire for ourfelves*

M*

CHAP. XVI.
Hopt the Recehtr aught to behave himfefft

THERE are certain Rules in common, betwixt tlie
Giver, and the Receiver: We muft do both chear-
fuliy, that the Giver may receive the Fruit of his Bene-
Et in the very Ad of bedowing it. It is a j aft Ground

Chap, XVI. Of B E N E F I T S. si

of Satisfa^ion, to ^i a Friend pleafed ; but it is much
more, co maie him To. The intention of the one is to .
be faited to the iDtention of the other ; and there mail
be an Emulation betwixt theai» whether ihall oblige
moft. Let the one fay, That he has received a Benefit,
and let the €>ther perfuade himfelf that he has not return-
ed it. Let the one fay, J am paid, and the other, I am •
jtt in your Debt \ let the Benefador acquit ^<f Receiver,
and the Receiver bin4 himfelf. The Franknefs of his
Difcharge heightens the Obligation. It is mCtnver/i' .
. thn^ as in a Tennis-Court : Benefits are to be toft Hke
Balls ; the longer they red, the better are theGamefteUr
The Giver» in fome refpe^l, has the Odds, becaafe (as
in a Race) he fiarts firii» and the other mail ufe great
Diligence to overtake him. The Return muil be larger
than the firft Obligation to come up to it ; and it is a
kmd of Inzratitude, not to render it with Intercfl. In
a Master ofMoney* It is a common Thing to pay a Debt
o«t of courle, and before it be due; but we aceount our-
fdves to owe nothing for a good Office ; whereas the
Benefit increafes by Delay* . So infenfible are we of the
nod importaDt A^r of human Life. That Man were «
dpubtleis in a npiferafafat Condiuon, that could neither
iec» nor hear, nor t^, nor feeU norfmell: But, ho>¥
n^QCh more ushappy i^ he then, that, wanting a 8enfe
of Benefits^ lofes tbe-greated Comfort in Nature; in the.
Blifs. of Giving, and Receiving them ? He that ukesa
Benefit as it is meant, is in the Right ; for the Beiiefac-»
tor has t^n his End, and hi« only End, when the Re-,
ceiver ia grateful.
. Thb mote glorious Part, in Appearance, is that of th^
Giver ; hu& * the Receiver has undoubt^^ • <r/. p
cdly the harder Game to play, in many , ^ , , f'j^>
Ri^ards. There are fome from whom 7' '^^/^;^^''
I would not accept of a Benefit ; that is ^^'^Z '^>^^^^-
to fay, from thofe upon whom I would nQt bellow oae*.
For why (hould not! fcorn to receive a Benefit, where
I am aihamed to owe iti* And, I would yet be more
tender too, where I receive than where I give ; for ic it
a Torment to be in Debt, where a Man has nd Mind to*
pay ; as it is the gteateft Delight miaginable to be en«
gaged by a Friend, whom I (hould yet .have a Kindnefa

I> 3

54^ « R N B C A arap.XVL

for, if I were never fo much dMbUiged. Jc is a Paiii to
an honefty and a generous Miod, to lie under a Doty
ofASc&Jon againft- Inclination. 1 do not (peak here of*
wife Men, that Inve to do what tbejr ought to do ; that
have their Paffions at Command ; that prescribe La^\ s ta
themielves ; and keep them whea they have done ; but
of Men, in a State of Imperfediooy that may have a good
Will perhaps to be honel((, and yet be ovcr-bome by the
Contumacy of their Afie^tions. We maft therefore have
a Care to whom we become obliged ; and, i wonld be
much ftrider yet in the Choice of a Creditor for Beoelita,
than for Money. In the one Cafe» it is but paying what
I had, and the Debt is diicharged ; in the other, I do
BOt only owe more, but when I have paid that, I am
iHU in Arrear: And this Law is the very Foundation of
Friendihip* I will fappoie myfdf a Prikmer, and a uo^
tonous Vtilaia oflfers to lay down a good Sum of' Money
for ray .Redemption. /Vf/f, Shall l>aiake oie of this Mo-
sey, or no ? ^Hondfyt If t do, vfhtx Retmti Ihalt \ make
for it ? To the iirft Point, 1 %^ take it ; bat mity a»a
Debt, not as aBenefir, chat (hall ever tie me iDa P r i e w d >
ihip with him: Andiiboondiy,»y AeEaowMgmoNAail
be oidy correfpondenc to foch an Obligatio*. It is m^
Sdiool-queftion, Whether or no J^i^irr, tlm thoogi^
Ca^/ar not fit u> live (and pot himlelf ar the Head of a
Cottl^racy agansH him), covld honeftty have leceived
his lAhfrom C^Jat^ if he bad iaikn into C^^'s Power,
witHoot examining what Rei^bn moved him^ to that Ac-
tion ? Mow great a Man ibever he was' in other Ca(ea»
without Difpnte he was extremely out in this, and bdovr
the Dignity of his Praleffion. For a Stok to fear {he
Name of a King, when yet Mooarchv-ts the beil State
of Government ; or (here to hope for Liberty, ^where fo
great Rewards ave piopounded, borit for Tyrants aad
their Slaves; for him ta imagine, ever to bring the
Laws to their former State, where (b many thouiand
Lives had been loft in the Conteft, no^fo mveh whether
they (hould ferve or no» hot who fhonid be their Mafttr :
He was ftrangely miftakea fare in the Nature and Rea*
Ion of Things, to fancy, that when Jitliut wt% gone^
fome Body elfe woald not ftart up in his Place, whei^
there was yet a Twrqwn foaad^ after (b osAny Sings thai

- •

Chap. XVT/ Of B E N E F I T «. 5$

war <kftBO|red» citberby Sword or ThBodtr : Aod Tet
the Refoi«aon is. That' he might have received it^ but
not aft a Benefit; fi^r at^that Ratal owe my Life to every^
Man that do^ not take it away.

f GRi&ciiivs JuLivs (whoBi CaHgmlm pot to Death
It of a pore Maine aa hia Virtue) had « ^ Bmefit r#-
m oonfiderable Sam of hfoney fent him /- rj f ,t^
froai FaAius Piffaui (a Man of great and •>^^{'"' ^
io&moas £xample)» as a Contribudon ^'^^^'
IDwarda the Expcnca* of Playa and other pablk Enter*
taimnents ; bat Julius woold not receive it ; and ibme
of his Friends that had an Eye more imon the Prefent
than the iVeftttter, aiked hiniy with Ibme Freedom^
What he nmant hf ith&Ki% it ? Wk^\t^y% he) Jojw
ihimk that 1 nnill iah Mmtey^ fwbtn I.tmuld not tuk§ fo
mmth m m Ghfi rfWimf After tht^^ Miks (a Man
9i the &ine Stamp) ^t him a cveamr Sum opon the
iame Score. Ywu mmfi octmft me (&ys he to the MeiTtrn-
(er) fm I imMwa toke^uy Tlnug rf Pdficna nmbtr.
, T» mifidi thia Scrapie «f mmviiig Money, widi
mmther of kteoiag' itt andtheSaaanOt » yn«>
nbwc three iVnc? ernGraat at moft. ^^iTf If;
« There was n certam FphuMnm that ^^ ^"^f''*
eotttnAed with a Cohlar fbr a rair of Shoes, aod ibme
thsee or ibnr Days after^ going to pay him his Mbaey»
the Shop was flmt ap ; and when he had knocked a
mat wwe at the Dear* i^rrcM/(iaiysaFdk)w)jwa flr«y
I mmmt r.ytur Hiuri $ut iher^ fit tbt Man thm ym U»k
fir is deud* And mJkm eur Frimds 0tndisd% w§ beat m
mars News rftbemi huiyeurs tbut an U Ume agmm% njoiO
fiifi wtMrtmrgh (adloding to Pjtbageras hb Traei/m^gra'-
Hon,) Upon this the Phitofopher went away, with his
Money'^chinking in his Hand, and well enough content
to fiwe it : at hUl his Coniiaence took check at it, and
upon Reflexion, Tbemgb the Man he dead (iays he) io
eibrn^ he is ali'oe to thees fay him tvhat theu eweft him :
aod fo he Went back prefentl^K and thruft it into bis
2>hop, through the Chink of the Door. Whatever we
owe, it is oorPart to find whese to pay it» and to do k
withoot afidng too ; *fbr whether the Creditor be good,
or bad, the Debt is (UU the iame*

S6 S E N E C. A Chap. XVr.

* Iv a Benefit be forced upon me, as fjfoi» a Tyraot»
*Af i ^ Superior, where it may be daogeroiis ta
B fU '^^^^^ * ^^" ^* rather obeyins:. than receiviog,

^"'? • where the Neoefiity deftf«^s ue Choice^ The
Way CO know what ( have a Mind.to.do, is toJeavte toe
at Liberty, whether I wtO do it 6r so ; but,: it is'yet «
Benefit if a Man does me good in ^e of iny Teeth ^
as it is none, if I do> any Man good agaidft toy Will.
A Man may both hate, and yet leceive a Benefit at the
fame Time 9 the Money is never the-worle, becaufe a
Fool, that is not read in Coinsi refafes to. take .ic. If
the Thing be good for the Receireiv and fb intendedy
BO Matter how ill h is taken, i Nay theiReooiver may be
obliged, and not know it: ;fint'there«can be no£enefit»
which is unknown 40 the Giver* « Neither Avill J^ upon,
any Terms, receive a Benefit fcom. a vvortby Perfon that
may do him a Milcfcief : It ii the Part of an Enemy, tt>
iave himfelf, by doing another Man harm.

f But, whatever we do, k^ tis be fore always to ke^

XV ^ ^ grateful Mind. \% is notjenough to (av,'

* .yt^li' J Wh«tR:eq<ital.ihali.apoorMa».oflS?rioa

grateful Mtnd, ^^.^^^ or .a. SUw » bis Fauon.;. wh«tt 16

is the Gloiy of Graaitiide^ th^i it dependa only uponth^
good WiU. Sof^poie a Man defiends my.Riraei delivers
me from Beggary; faves my Liib; or^ives me Liberty^
that is more than^Life, How. fliaJl i & g»atefu{ 10 that
Man i I will receive, cherifh, zm^ rejoice in the Bene*-^
fit. Take it kindly, and isi-tti^Vequked:. not* that the
Bebtitfelf is discharged, buitit is>neKertheIefb aDi^har|^
oF the Conibence:^ A^ili yeidifti nghi fii betavixt the Debt^
01 y that becotnes inft>lve,nt' by £xpeBCe3tipon> Whores
and Dice ; and another that Is undone by Fire or
Thieves ; nor do I take this Gratitude for a Payment ;
but there is no Danger, 1 prefume^ of being arrcdded for*,
fuch a Debt;

J In the Return of Benefits^ let us be ready, and chear«»

+ ijtf /L u I ^"^» ^^' "°^ prcifing* * There is af.
J ^ ^./f f "''^ ^^. . mttchGreaanefs of Mind in .the ow^.
€hearfulbutn'.nm' ing of a good Turn, aain the.doin^
tortunattinthere^ of it; a^.we muft no more forci
turmni of Benefits. ^ ^^^^,^ ^ut of Seafon, .than be
Wanting in it. He that piecif itates a Return, does as .

Cliap. XVI. Of B E N E F I T S. 57

.good' as iay, .7 am tuiory tf hthg in tbit Man's Dibi ;.
not but. that the hafteniofr of a Requital, as a good
Office, is a commendable Dirpofitton ; but it is another
Thing to do it as a Difcharge ;. for> it looks like
calling off a heavy and troubleiome Burden. It is for
the Benefador to lay^ *wben he will receive it ; no mat-
ter foe the Opinion of the World, fo long as I gratify
my own Confcience ; for I cannot be miSakeA in my^
felfy bat another may. He that is over-iblicicous to rg-^
turn a Benefit, thinks the other fo likewife to receive it.
m he had rather we ihould keep ir. Why (hould we re-
fufe, .and prefame to difpofe of his Treafure, who may
call it in, or let it lie Out at Choice ? It is as much a
Fault to receive what I ought not; as not to give what'
I ought: for, the Giver has the Privilege of cnuiing his-
ewit time- for *Recetviiig.

^ So MB are too proud in the conferring of Benefits ;-
others in the receivings of them ^ which ^q-, ^ •

is. to fay the Truth, intolerable. The o^r'^T/*
fame Rule ferves both Sides, as in the »«^'7'*^>"'f^
Cafe of a Father and a Son; Hufband '" '^' ^^'C"
and a Wife; one Friend, or Acquain- ^^"^.JJ* " ^
tance,. and another, where the Duties „ '^J^^ ^
are known and common. There are J* • ^
fome that will not receive a Benefit, but in private \
nor thank you^ for it but in your Ear, or in a Corner ;
tiiCre muft be nothing under Hand and Seal, no Bro-
kers, Notaries, or Witnef{es in the Cafe: This is nctr
{o much a Scruple of Mbdefly, as a kind of denying
the Obligation, and only a lefs hardened Ingratitude;.
Some receive Benefits fo coldly and indiiFetently; that
a Man {hould think the Obligation lay on the other
fide : a& who would fay, Well^ Jince you ivill needs bavi
it fu 1 am content t^ take if. Some again, (6 care-
Icfsly, as if they hardly knew of any fuch Thing;:
whereas we ihould rather aggravate the Matter, J^(7z<
cannot imagine hoio.many. you ba^ve obliged in this ASl \
tbere ne'ver *was fo great^ fo hind^ fo feafnahle a Cour—
iffy, Furnius never gained fo much \M^o\\AuguJlus^2i$^
by a. Speech, upon^ the getting of his Father'^ Par-
doa for. fiding with Antony, This Grace, fays he, //•
tbti only Injury tbat e*iicr Casfar did me ; for it hat put nit'

S9 ■ S ^ N E • d A ■ ^ap.XVfe

'tfpon a Kiceffity of Ifving -afA iiysng ungratefitL ' It
Is (kfer to affiront (bne Peopk thsn to oblige them;
fdf the better a Man defenres, the worfe niey will
Ipeak of him; as if tlie proiefCng of open Hatred to
their Benefaflors, were an Ai^oment tfast tluqrlie un-
der no Obligation, Some People are' fb fenr and Hf**
naturtdy that they tafte it for an Affiront to hare aft
Ol^tgatidn or a Return offered them,-totheDiia)arage-
i&ent both of Bounty, and Gratitude together. The
not doing, and the not receiving of Benefits are equal-
ly a Millake, He that refufes a new one, feems to be*
eflfbnded at an old one : and yet fbme^mes 1 wonid
neither returft a Benefit, nor & unach as vtcthc it if I ^
might.

■G H A P, XVII.

« - -

Of GRATITUDE.

HE that preaches Gratitude, pleads the Caui%r botfr
of God and Man i. for without it, we can Jieitber
b^ fociable, nor religious. There is a ftraoge Delight
in the very Parpofe, and Conteiuplation of it, as well at
in the A£lion ; when I can fay to myfelf, / Io*oi my j9r-
pefaSor ; nuhat is there in this World that '/ twuid nof
do to oblige and fir^e him t Where I have not the
Meam of a Requital^ the very Meditatton of it is fnffi)- '
cieot, A Man is neverthdefs an Artlft, for not having
}iis Tools about him ; or a Mnlician becaule he waots-
his Fiddle : Nor is he the lefs brave, becaufe his Hands
are bound, or the worfe Pilot for being upon dry Gtound.
if 1 have only ff^i/l to be grateful, J afn fo. Let me.be
iipon the -Wheel, or under the Hand of the Execution-
er ; let me be burnt Limb by Limb, and my whole Body
dropping into the Flames, a good Confcience fupports
me in all Extremities : Nay, it is comfortable even in.
Death itfelf : For, when we come to approach that
t'oint, what Care do we take to fummon, and ddl t»
mind all our Benefactors, and the good Offices tliey
have done us, that we may leave the World fair, andl

Cb9p:XVlf. 6f BSNErr*S. '59

let OOF Minds in Order ? Without Grttitttde we ttn net.

-tker have Secority, Peace, .hor Repotatios : And, it is

not there^Mre the lefs dcfirtble, because it draws many

adrentitioas Benefits along with it Suppofe the Son,

the Moon,, and the Stars had no other Bofineft^ than

-onlyJto pa^ov«r our Heads, without anv EfftH upon oar

Miods or Bodies ; without any kegard to onr Health,

Fruits, orSeaibnsT A Man could hardly lift up his Byes

towards the Hearens without Wonder and Veneration,

< to fee f6 many Minions of radiant Lights, and to ob-

lerve their Courfe^, and Revolutions, even without any

Re^e6i ^^' ^^^ common Good of the UniveHe. Bur

- when we come to confider, that Providence and* Nature

•are ftiH at work when we ileep; with the admirabhr

Force and Operation of their Influences and Motions ;

we ainnot then but acknowledge their Ornament tabe

^the leall Part of their Value ; and that they are more ro

^beeileemed foir their Virtue, than for their Splendor*

' Tlie^ main End and Ufe is matter of Life. 4md Ne*

'«efity$ thottgit tfhey may ieem to us more <;onfiderabl»

ibr^irMaj^fty and Beauty, And b it is ^ithGra-

titudet #e lov^ it rather for fecondary Ends^ than for

itfelf. :: V

No Man can be grateful without contemning thoie
Ibffi^B Aal put the common People out ^ ^ ,
of their Wits. We muft go into Ba- ^f J^'T f
fifi»h«eilt;^%^dwn our Lives, beg- ^I* «^7 Jf **
.giM ^rt^T'^poie ouHHves to Reproach- -^'JV^UOp^
^ : :Nay, 'it^l/\5fart ftcn, thw Loyalty PV'^"''*
'Mli^' tHePcMiflidient dde to Rebellion ; and that Trea*
^41tfk fetkWt^ the Rewiirdsof Fidelity. As the Benefits
'of It are'tnany and greats fo are the Hazards ; whidi
*K th^Cale, more or left, of alt other Vlnues : and~ it
'iMcre h^rd, if this, above llhe reft, fbould be both paiii-
Y/u^aAd frijitlcfe L A> that * though ive may go currently
-on •with, ft 'rh afmooth Way, we rnuft yet prepare, and
reM^^{W need be) to fbrcc t>ur Pafl&ge to it, even if
ihe Waf Wei^cbvircd. with Thorns, and Serpents ; and
fallB^itkift^ Eigiy wtf^maft be grateful fttll: Graiefol
fbl' the Virtiie fake, apd grat^fu) operand above upon.
<lie-f<)ifHf of Intereft; for it preferves old Friends, and
gssiM new^ ones* - It ts ii6t our fiuimefs to Bfh for one

D 6

£o 6 .B V. B ? A €h^p.XVHtt«

Boocfit wkh anether ;. and by beftowmg « Itole,. to
gee more : or to oblige foe any forx of £xp«|Gii<(AC<*
bu( httSLuk I ott^bt to do .k» . aD4 htcaafc I l0ve it ;
and that to fuch a Degnee, that if T could oot be grat^-
fuly without a{>peid-iog' the contrary f if I cpuld not i^*
tarn a Benefit, without being fafpe^bd of doiog an
Injury ; in defpite of Infamy itfelf, I would yet be gjratet
ful, No^Man is greater iq my Edeem/ than he that.
ventures his Fame to preferve the Confcicnce .of. %a
honeftMan; the one is but imaginary »., the, o{he]>foUd»,
and. iocilimable. I cannot call him graceful, wlv3«<^^
the Infant of. retpnungonje. Heo^ftt,, has. his^ Eye iMcoju
another, H^ that is. grateful. for Profit pr^^Fejir is Kfce-
a Woman. that ishone^, oaly u^on thfp, Sgona o(f Repi|<.

tation. »•..?;-.

^ As Gratitude is a. tiece/Tary^ and a g|orious». fo .is*

• arn^itndeh ^^' ^^ an Qhv.iou|, achw>' *M*Q «afy
^^7. • Virtue; So obvio^s^ that when?£;>c«er tb«^'

^irTi\r« ;isaJLife,,there>.aPi^^fpf it: ^^a^

eaJ^nrtMer juithout Expence;>nd.fp.^afy, tj^t the
.Sluggarc) laa^rbe fo likewife, . wifihpurLa^4r^ Ajbl.yftr
it is not without its Niceties tpio;: for there may.bej.a
Time, .a Place, ocQccafion, whcfcin^l ,ougl^ not to re-
turn a Benefit ;, nay, whercia L iaay b^t^f .. difowu-U,
than deliver it.. ' ^ .; ^ ;f ,. ,,jjj ,.,

• •|-txErit:b^.MDder(lp,o4[ by. th^ wa5f^^at.f^^jft,'^^r

>2> is sir. mng, "^"^^ ^Y g-^ulfw^a^p^Pft^..
; A • .!// /-t ^^ smother. ^jiijjg .to a; raturar^^ t^:
lt^!^iL^ goodWiUisei^qAiil^Cafc,*^,

rf^^r pm^ '" '^'' tKa oth^r promifes ; but the 5f&a is:
/«r« tt. . reqvifitf in tU b^her, ^ The flhj^ciao

' that has doneihis beil,. is, ac^ittedy thouj^ ^ ^kf fatieat .
die& J . apd fo is die Ady^^at^^ . ,*qi^h -. jtbf '.Rii<»|; m V -
lofe im Caufe. The Genew^l/of^n Army^ ihgVgl^ith^-
Battle belpfl, is yetvyofthy-of QonjinKn44f<>fif^S^lhas

.difchargccl all the Parts Qf,^jpru4eut,Co;fti»aiuier j^^ii.
this Cafe th^ one acquits hin^fel^ tbot^b the'odikea: be
never Ih?. better for. it. He is a grateful* Mf^n |ha^ is-
always willing . and ready ^ ^n4 he ihat feeka for jill
M^ans and.OccaJGions of r^quj^iigx a.B^ilve^i.tboMa^k

QoLp. XVm ©f 3 B N E F I T S. fJt

witfaeat attahilDg \m Sad, does a grett deal ihore ehan
the Maiir that without anv Trouble makes aa imaiediaie
RceiiffB* . Sjippofe tny.' Friend a Prifoner. and that X-
have foki . mycfittate for hts^RanCbme : I put to Sea ia
foal Weathei^raod upon sL^Cmik^M^ is peflered widi
Pirates: my f'riend kappeiw-toiiK reitteemed before I
cosie^to the Place: mf Gratitude is as- much to ht
afleemedy as if he had been a Priibner ; ^ and if 4 had- beeti
U^sen a«d cobbed myielf, it would* ftill hate been the
.iame C^c. iNay, diejce is a Gratitude in^ the vety CooA^-
tcDance ; for an honed Man bears his Conicience-rn his
Face, and prop ound s the Re(][uital of a good Turn in_the
*\ery*lSWlHSin' oTTeceTving It : He is cnearfu! and con&«
dent ;. and in the Po^Iofiion^f % trji^ Fvendfhip, deliver-^
cd from all AnJIciety.'^ ^TheVe' is this DYfFerence betwixt a.
thankful Man, and. an unthankfbl ^the one is alwa i.<

' pleafed in the Good he h^s ddne, and the other only §nci,.
m what he h^reakfeti. There mud be a Benignity ^n

I t^e'£ftiaiatkMi:ev«o of^ the^iiialleft Offices ; ant} fuch a

MQdbBftytisUtppearsto4»eobtl^ in whatfbeVeri^^gi^e^*
JkaitJiiiiMkaia vei^great'B^eifit, the:Opj6iortDnity'^r
ddiDg^jgead Office^to a ^ti^y^^^- '-Fle^th^l! aHerlds
to the prefcnty and i^member^H^tjIt it^ {feft,* &iaH never
be uagracefalr/fiacwboirh^l jttdjgd»ifi the Cafe ? Ftir

* ^a.Man may be g^e&l i^khoor making a Return, and:
nngratefal with itl Oar^bcH: Wfiy is tb'hdip, every thihg
by a fivr Interiireiation^ afid wh«rtfoei«r there is; a
]>cttd>t, ^alWiw-it't^eiufttyftiivtitttabl^fMnlttnftio^^^ for
ilie.'^atisieticepiiaits at W«idl ^r^ Looks, has- a mind to
.pkk: a iQi«treh ';Por liiy^Wtf Parr, when I come t<y caft
upc m}* MjonxpSir Quid: knid^'whawl owe, anfd to whom ;
though I mabe .my Return fodtiel" t^ Tome; iind'later to

I others»:as-Occafion^r Fortune will give me leave, ytt

I 1, will he 3 oft, tc^ all. Yvh\i t«* grateful TO God ; to Mair^,

to thofe.&at have obliged me*; i>ay, 'eveil •tO'thofe that

I have «;blii|f^d:i0y F»endSv i^ ^n boond {n ^Honour -and

kt Confcience, 'lO^lie^thaifk^i^l'fbr whm I^aV^ rebefved"^
aild,ifiii b& not yettiidi^iiis ifii feme PicbAjH M}\ "that^

' M^yba^im psiUA - 'iHhr lEed^isfqui&l of'kFavour,; thei^ .

jmiii bQ VarlniiyiQccaflatf, xMsaiis^ dnd Fb)rtiinew .'

• *

.» >

^ • 9 & N & C A fthip. XVm.

, IriiacDiiuiaQtluiif lO^iteMiyJirffoetiAepiich
j^^mr ^ of an fijury* * A Man acy Ik O^nr^*
if Mtfjf «r^ riikmmi and, why im Ot^^r-fntf^^
^o^er^gtMe- tool Tberet^a miOikwwExceis, that
^/ aswjiat jj^^ g^ ^^^ i^pon ingwrioria, abat
#v/r.r/j[^/«w. j^ j^ ^ ^^ ^^^^ todite^aiflfc::clie
XHie from the otheci 1m» ia regard tfaat^thafo is
ifiood Will in the BoitOtt of it» (however diflaapefiad ;
7q% it 4s eficaoally bat Kmdneis ont of dM Wita)
yit ihall dii^»iirfe it under the Title of GrMkmkwmJ^

c HAP; xvm. ;

4

Gratitude Jl£/laiej\,^

TOfefufii a good Office*^ not .fi» mnohlaacaiile we
ido not need it» aa beonefewc wouU-moebe iii-
.idebted ^ il, is a,U«d Of /aniafiiad Ingntitude,^ mM
ibniewhat ^•Un to ihat Niceiy.of Haooa^ oa> th^HMhor
.iide* of being ov^rgratefoU only k .li(»taaQtiieriwa^,
^nd feeais to be |ha more pardooabk Ingiadtodeof die
two. Some People take it for a great InHaace.of fhcbr
!eood wm, to be fkill wtfbiiig their Beneftaor&liu^ or
ia^ 41 Micl^ief J. only» fodbotht that thay ithflmfetvcis
imight be the happy JaAMflientat)ftheirilrieait, :4Bhafe
Men do like extn^a^t Loven,^<thaa)tal|p&it>form gratli
Proof of their Aftoftionr t».v.wiSi one another ihawm4»
lieggared, or daieaiSU that thcyimi^t have cfab i^poa-
jrunity of ioterpo&ng to their Relief What J)ifieienGe is
4bere betwixt fiich Wilhing and CunGing? Sach an A§^
fe&ioa^ and a mortal Hatr^ ? The intent is coodr you
will (ay, but this is a Mi&ppHcation of it. Let-foch;^
one £all into my Power ;. or mio.the Hands of hm fine-
mies, his Creditors, or the. common Acople, and no>Mo»-
tal be able to lefcoe htm butintyifelf. ^ hmt hit Life, his
liberty and his Reputation lie idl at Stakes nnd noCres.
tare but myself in CoaditiQii tafopQomr.him^ and why
all this, but becaufe he has obliged ine> and I would
/e^oite him f If this be Gratitude, to propound Jaik^

"ShAJtles^ Shveiy, W», Beggary, fiothe Mm that yarn
''wopid reqoke ; what woald yov do where roa are un-
^^meftil ! This wapr of Procmiiif , over ana above that
It 19 impioas in -itfelfy is likewiTe OT^-hafty^ and mi*
ftafeoable; for he«thiit goes too faA, isas niiich t»
Maae^ as he that doetnotmoveatUiy (to firf nodiine
«f die iBjaftke) for. if I had nertr- hcen obliged. I
ihookl never have wilhed ic* Tfaef^ are Sealbns where*
in a Benefit is neidier to be recoved^ nor requited. To
yrefs a Retom upon me, when I do not defire i^ is an«
niaaiierly ; but it is wor^ to force me to defire it. How
rigoroos would he be to exaft a Reqoitaly who is thos ca^
ger to return it ? To wiih a Man hi DHbefs, that I may
rdieve him, h, fiift» towKh hSm miferaUe: To wiih
diat he may Amd in need of anj Bddy» Is a^aif^ -himi
snd tx> w4(h dmt he may fiand in need iof me. Mfar m^
Jt^: So that my Bnfinefs is not fo moiSh a Charity to my
Friend, as the Cancelling of a fiond t Nay, it is Mf way
iSieWifliofanfinemy. Il is faarbareftw to wifli a Man in
Chaiils, Slavery, or Want, only to bring htm oat agaia :
Let me rather wi(h hhn powerfol, andliappy, ana my^
Mf indebted tb him. By Nator^, we ire prone to'Mer*
cy. Humanity, Co ropafii on; may we be excited to hk
snore lb' by the Number of the Grateful ; may their
Number iiiereafe, and may we have no need of trying^
fhem.

It h aot lor an honeH Man to make way to a good

hi* SkiH ; or a Generjd ^ih his Army TTTr^ ^^
tooted, dMt he might fhew himfcftfa ^^ J?f ^
great Commander in recovering the Day. ^**'tf *^^ )
ft \t throwing a Man into ti River, to take htm out
again. It is aft ObKgatton, I confefs, to cnre a Wound
or a Dffeale ; but, to mto^ that Wound, or Difeafe, ot»
pnrpofe to c»rt it^ h7L moft pervert: Ingratitnde. It i»
oarharous Tven to an Enemy, much more to a Friehd^
lor, it is not ibrnnch to do him a Kindnefr, as to put
him in need of it. Of the two, let it be rather a Scar^
than a Wound i.and yet it would be better to have it
neither. Ronu had been little beholden to Se^c, if he
had prolonged the Pmu^k War, that he might have the

.Af . 8^ E N E C At . CftapyXVHL

ilnifhiag of it aHaft ; (» to the DicHt for dym^ for thdr
Country, if they had firft brought it to the lafl Extremity
of needing their Devotion. It may be a good Con-
^t^mplation, but it is a lewd Wifli. JEneas had never
bctn (urjiamed the Pms^ if he had .wifiied the Ruin of
his Country, only that he .might have the Honour of
taking his Fathjer oUt pf the Fire. It is the Scandal of
aPhyiician to make Work, and ioitate a Diieafe, and
;to torment his Patient ibr die Reputation of fai$ Cure.
If a Man ihould openly imprecate Poverty, Captivity,
Fear, of Danger, upon a Perfon that he has been obliged
to, would not the whole World condemn him for it ?
^nd,: what is the Difference; but that the one. is only
a private Wiihi and. the .oth^r ,a public pfsdaration.?
JRituLus was told ii^. his Exile, that, for his Comfort
there would be ere long a- civil W^r,. that would
bring all the baniihed Men hoine ^ain. GifJ fsrbidy
fay^ he, for 1 bad rather my Country Jhouldhlujb for my^
Bantfifmtnt, than mourn for my Returk* • How mQ€&
more honourable is it^ to owe. chearfuUy, thaii to paj^
diibon^illy ? It is the .Wiih. of an Enemy, to take a.
.TQwn» that* he ma^y preferve it, and to be vi£ioriood».
that he may forgive i but, ^e Mercy cornea af^r the
Cruelty i befide diat it iaan Injury both to God and
Man, for the Man muft befirft a$i£led by Heofvw to
be relieved by me. So that we impofe the Cruelty op,-
en God, and take the Conipafiion to ourfi^ves; and, at
the beft, is but a Curfe, that makes way for a Bleffing;
the bare WiiH is an Injury .; ^nd, ii it does pot take «f*
ft'd, itis beciuie Heaven has |i(^ heard ourJPrayera. Or^
If'they; Ihduld fucceed, the Fear itfelf is a Torment; and
it is much more deiirable to have a |irm,. ^nd unihakea
Security : It is friendly to wiih^ it in your Power to >
oblige me, if ever I chance to need it ; but it. is unkind
to wiih me miferable, that I may need it* How much
foore pious is it, and humane, to wiih that I ma^ '
never want the Occasion of Obliging,, nor the Means of
^ovigiti: Qor ever h^eReafon to repeat of what! have
done?, .' •

Oiap. XIX. Of B E N E F I T S.

* * * - •

CHAP. XIX.

Of Ingratitude^

INgratitudx is, of all Crsme9» that wBich we are
to account the moft venial in others, and the moll.
unpardonable in oarfelves. It is impious in the higheil
i>egrc^ ; iox it makes us fight againU our .Children, and
our Altars. Thens are, there ever were, and there
ever will be Criminals of all Sorts; as Murderers, Ty-
rants, Thieves^ Adulterers, Traitors, Robbers, and
facrilegious Feribns ; but there is hardly any notorious.
Crimes without a Mature of Ingratitude, it difunitea
Mdfikind^ and breaks the very Pillars of Society. And,
yet fo far is this prodigious Wickednefs from being apy
Wpnder .(o -US, that even Thankfulnefs iifelf wei?o.
much . the greater of the two. For Men are deterred
from it by Labour, Expence^ Lazineis, Bufioefs; or elfe
diverted from it by Lull, Envy, Ambition, Pride, Le-
vity, Kaihnefs, Fear: Nay by the very Shame of con-
ielfioe what they have received. And. the unthankful
lidanlias nothing to fay for J^imfelf all this while; foir
there needs neither Pains nor fortune, for the Difcharge'
of his Duty ; h^^d^ the inward Anxiety and Torment^
when a Man'4 Confcience xx^ikes him afraid of his owi^
Thought. ,

To fpeak Bgainft the Ungrateful, is to tail againit
Mankind * ; for, even thofe that complain. « «^ im

are guilty; not* do I fpeak only of thofe . 4 a t
that do notlive m£ to the flria Rule of Vir,. ''*r^'?^*^- *
tiie ; but Mankind itfelf is degenerated and loft. Wo
live nnti¥ink/ully in this World, apd we go ilruggling
and murnauring, but of it ; diliatisfied with oup Lot;
whereas we (hould be grateful for the Eleflings we have
enjoyedr-and account that iuglcient^ wiiich Providence
has provided for as; A little more time may. make oui
Lives, longer,' but not Appier; and wh^nfoeyer it is the
Fieafure of God til caU ttv wemuft obey; and yet all
this while we go on.qjiiarrellii^ at the World, for what
we find in ourielvcs.;.,and weare yet more unthankful to
Heaven, than we are to one anothcjr. What Benefit can
be great now IQ that Man that defpifes the Bounties ot

66 SENECA' tbap.XiX.

his Maker ? We would" be' ds ftrono^ as Elephants, as
fwift as Bucks, as light as Birds* ap4 we complain that
we have not the Sag^ty of Dogs, the Sight of Eagles,
the long Ufe of Ravens^ nay that we are not immortal*
and endqed with the&nowledge of'things to come. Na)!^
wre take it ill, that we .are not Cod^ upon Earth : never
coniidering the Advantages of our Condition, of the fie^
dignity of Providence in the Comforts that we cnjoy^
"We fubdue theilrongeft of Creatorcs, and overtake thi5
fieetett ; we reclaim the fieroeft, apd out-wit the craftt*
ef^. We are within one Degree of Heaven itfelf,' and*
yet we are not fatisfied. Since there is hot any one Crea-»
ture which we had rjrther be : We take it il! that we
cannot draw the united Excellencies of all other Crcaturet
into oorfelves. Why are we not rather thankful to that
Goodnefs, which has fubjeded the whole Creation to oaf
Ufe and Service ?

• The principal Caufcsor Ingratitude, are Pride ancf
mn^r ^7' Self'Coneeiti Avarice, fenvy, {^r. It is
• ^^j^ a famiKar. Exclamation, It is truf, be Si
g rmutm^ ^^^^ ^^ /i&irt^r «np, hut It tamtfi latt, and

it nii)€is/(i littk, I. htid e*vtn as gopd ha*ve been nvifbout if : ^
i>$ had not ^iven // to me, bemufi baiifi g^*ue^ it to/omt bodr
i//e; it ivas nothing out of his onnn fodteti Nay, we die &
tingrateful; that he that gives us all wehave,'if heleavea
anv thing to himfelf* we reckon that he does us an
Injury. It coft JnHus C/t^ his Life, the Difippoint-
memt of his infatiable Companions ; and yet he ivlerv*
ed nothing of all that he got tohimfelf, Imt the Liberty
of difpofing it. There is no Benefit £> large but Ma-
lignity will ftil! leffen it : none t^ narrow, which a good
Interpretation will not enlarge. No Man fhall ever be
grateful, that views a Benefit oii the wro^ Side; or
takes a good Office by the wrong Handle. The avarid-
<>us Man is naturally angratefbC ^i^ he never thinks he
has enough, but without confidering what he has, only
minds what he covets. Soifie oretend want of Power to
make a competent Return, and you fliaH find in others
a kind of graceleisModefty; that makes a Man afhamed
of requiting an Obligarloin,' liecauib it is a Cbafeffiba
tha( he has received one*.

ciuip.xix.^ brBEMiFfrs. «^

. * Not toretarn one good Office ^r anoAer, is inbit*
oum ; bttt to return Evil R>r Good, is dia- « jM-
bdical. There are too many even of r J /^"gUIj
this fort, who, the «of« they owe, the ^</^ z I*
more they hate. There is Hothtne more """T'^lf'i
dangeroes diaa to oblige thoiePtople) .^. iT ;
for n^ieii they are mMoutof not pay- '' ^*^UiaL .
ing the Debt, they wiih the Creditor oat of the Way*
It is a mortal Hatred, that which arlfes firon the Shame
of an abuied Beneit. When we are on the aflcing
Side*, ft4iat a deal of Cringiiig there is, and PWrfeffion f
I^tii I Jball nvoer firget ibis Pavmri it mnll ht am
Herrnd OBUgathn H »», Bat, within a while the NQte>
Ss changed, and we hear no more Words of it; ontit
by little and fitde, tt i% all ^te IbfgOtom. So long
as we f!BBd in heed of a Benefit, there is BoHiihg
dearer to nsj^nor any thing chea{)er, when we have
received ih And yet vMan may as well refafe t0
deliver xxf a Sam of Money thai is kit him in Triift,
WYthoot « Smtv as not lo retorn a good Qfice wkhoot
afluBg; andwhen we ha^ao vahw any fortherfor^die
BmieSt, we do comaionfy eare as Utile for the Author*
Feoj^^ follow their fntereft} one Man b gmtefal for hia^
ConTenienee^ and^anOderMaai^angratenilifortheftm*
Realbo.
* SoM« -are liBgreiielul to their own Coaatry i and

eif Cottolry no tefc unmteAi) to o- » a.,"^ ^^^ „^
there ; fi» that Ac ComnlSnt of Ingia- ^T7\n '^
^ta<k reaches idl Men. Doth not the ^'^^^'^'^^/'^
Sonwifli for the Death of his Father; "^'^^JTui^
tbe Httfband fer that of hh Wfc? &fr. '^i'^^^T^J^^*
Bot who ean look for Gratittide in an Age of fo many
gapiifg and oaving Appetites, where ait People take,
and none give^ In an Age of Licence to all forts of
Vanity, and Wickedneft ; as Lntl, Gluttony, Avarice,
Envy, Ambition, Skith, Iniblence, Levity, Contuma-
ey, Fear, Rafhndi, private Difbords, and pobltc Bvi1s»
rxtnivagant and graundle(s WMies, vain Confidence^
ficklv' Aiiediens, fhamelefs Impieties, Rapme autho-
rized, and thcr Violation of all Things lacred and pro«
fene: Obligatiotts are porfoed wkh Sword and Poi-
foQS ^WW a<« turned into Cri«ieft| and thai Bloo4

fit. SEN E C A Ctap.XISL

moil ifcdUiottfly fpUt, for which every heneftMaa ihotild
expoie his own. Thofe that ihould be the Preibrvers of
their Country^ are the Deftroyers of it ; and it is M^ttter
of Dignity to trample upon the Government : The ^ word
gives the Law, and Mercenaries take up Arms again H
therr Matters. Among thele turbulent a^d unruly Mo«
tions, what Hope is there of finding Honesty or good.
Fwh> which is the quieceft.of all Virtues? There is no
more lively Image of human Life» than that of a con*
oixered City : there is neither Mercy, Modefty, nor Re-
ligion ; and if we forget our Lives» we may well forget.;
our Benefits. The World abounds with Examples of
ungrateful Perfonsy and no lefs with thofe of ungrateful
(joveraments. Was not Catiline ungeateful? whoier
Malice ain>ed, not only at the maileringof his Country,
but at the total Dedrudlion of iti by calling in an inve-^
terace alid vindi{live Enemy fiom beyopd the JIps, to
wreak their long-thirftcd-for Ilevenge>; and to facrifice
the Lives of as many noble R^manSf as might ferve ta.
s^nfwer and appeafe the Ghofts of the flaughtered Gads?
W&s not Marius ungrateful, that froni a common Soldier^^
being railed up to a Conful, not only gave the World for
fivil. Blood (hed and Maflacres, but waa himfelf the Sign.
^ the Execution \ and every Man he met in the Streets,
td whom he did not flretch out his Right-bandy wat
Murdered ? And* was not Sy^a, ungratetultOQ ? that,
when he had waded up to- the Gates in human Bloody
t&xx\t^ the Outrage into the City» and there mofl; bipr-v
baroufly cut two entire Legions to Pieces in a Corner;
not only after the Vklory, but moft periidiouily after
Quarter given them' ? jGood God L -th^t ever any Maa
ihould not only e^ape with Impunity^ bnt receive a ile«
ward for fo horrid:>a Villany ! Wjas not Pwupey ungrate*
ful too i who, after three Confulfliips, three Triumph^,,
and fo many Honours ufurped before his Time, fplit the
Commonwealth into three Parts; and brought it to fuch
a Pafs, that there was no Hope of Safety but by Slavery ?.
Qnly» for/poth, to abate the Enyy of bis Power, he took
other Partners- with him into the Goverpment, as if that
which was not lawful for any one, might have been allow*
aWe for more ; .dividing and distributing the Provinces^
tod to-making ail into a Trmmwr^i, r^ferving.lkili tw%

Chap. XX. Of B E N E F I T S.

Parts of the three In bis own FamiTy.' And was not Ctf*-
far ungrateful alio ? though, to give him his Due, he
was a Man of his Word; .merciful in his Vifioriesy and
never killed any Man but with his Sword in his Hand ?
Let us therefore forgive one another. Only one Word
more how for the Shame of ungrateful Governments,
Was not Camillus banifhed ? Sd^^io difmiiled ? and Ci"
cero exiled and plundered ? But what is all this to thof&
that are fo mad» as to difpute even the Goodneis of
Heaven which gives us all, and expeds nothing again,
but continues giving to the mod unthankful^ and com-
plaining ?

C H A P. XX.

T^ere cm le no Law againji Ingratitude.

INGRATITUDE IS fo daugcrous toitfelf^ and fo detefi-
able to other People^ that Natttre» one would think,
had fufiictently provided againft it, without Need of ^ny
other Law. For every ungrateful Man h his own Ene-
my, and it (eems fuperfluous to compel a Man to be
kind to him (elf, and follow his own InciiAations, This,
of all WickedneCs imaginable, is certainly the Vice whidi
does the moft^dWide and diftrad human. Nature* With.
eut the Exercife and the Commerceiof mutual Officer,
we cs^n be neither happy, nor iafe ; for it is only. Seeie.
ty that fecures us : Take us one by One, and.ii»eare!a
Prey even to Brutes, as well as to one another ; Nature
has brought us into the. World naked and unarmed ; we
have not the Teeth or the Paws of Lions or Bears, to
make ourielves terrible: but by the two Bleffings of
Reafon and 'Union, we (ecure and defend oorfeWes a-
gafnft VioleDCe and Fortune. This it is that makes a
Man the Mader of all other Creaturef, who othei'wile
were ibarce a Matdx for the weakeft of them. . This ic is
that comforts us in Sicluieis, in Age, in Mifery, in PAin|y|
and in the worft x>f Calamities. Take away this Comi-
bination, and Mankind is diflbciated, andf falls to Pieces.
it is true, that thexe it no Law eftabltlhed agaioil this

jp . 6 E H E C A Cbap^XX.

abominable Vice : but we cannot fay ^et, that ii^ eicapes
unpuDiHiedt for a pablic Hatred is ceitaialy the greateft
of alJ Penalties a over and above that we lofe the naoft
valuable Bleflioff of Liie^ in the not beftowing and re*
ceiving of Benefits. If Iflgratitivle were to be pttoiibcd
by a Law* it would dlfcreajt the Obligation ; .for a m«
iiefit is to be given, not lent; And if we4iave no Return
at all» there is no jaA Caufe of Complaint : fer Grati-
tude were no Virtue^ if thete were any Danger in bein^g
ungratefttL There are Halters,^ 1 know, Hooks» and
Gibbets, provided for Homkide* Poiibii, Sacrilege, and
Rebellion ; but Ingratitude (here upon Earth) is only
punifhed in the Schods ; all further Pains and Infli6H-
pna being wholly gemitted to divine Juftice. And* if a
Man may judge of the Confdence by the Countenance,
the ungrateful Man is ntvcr withoit a Canker at his
Heart 2 his Mind and Afpeft is fed and folicitous $
whereas the other h ali^s theapfiil and fersne.

As there * are no Laws extant {again ft Ingratitude^

m <rL^ vA^ ^ ^^ ^* utterly impo£bte to contrive

iimefuitbtr ^^^ ^^^^ .^ ^j Citcumftances fhall

I/, nor can be ^^^^ j^ j£ j^ ^^^ ^aSonaWe, there

anj^La^^ai^^ would mit be Cburu enough in the
ingratitudi. ^j^^,^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ .^

There can be no fetting a Day for the requiting of
Bencte, a« lor the Payment of Money f nor any £(li»
mate upon the Benefits themselves ; biit the whc^
Matter fefts in the Confcience of both Parties: And
then dieK are fo many Degrees of k^ that the {aote
Role will never ftrve all. Bdlde that, to proportion it,
46 a Benefit is gwater and lefs, will be both impra^li.
cable, and without Reaibn. One good Turn faves my
Life ; another my Freedom, or p^adventore my very
:Sool. How fiiali any Law now fiiit a'Ponifliment to an
-Ingratitude, under tl^ie differing I>egnees? It muft not
be '(aid in Benefits as in Bonds, Fay wJkat yfi» owi. How
Ihaira M«in pay Lifit, Health, Ct«dit, Security, ihkmd?
Theve can be nO fet Rule to booirdthat infinite Vaiiety
Hlfnf Gales, which are more properly die Sobjed of Hi».
mankyatid Religion^ than of Law and public Juilice.
There would be Difputes alio about the Benefit rtfelf;
which ipuft totally depend opon the Cdorte^ of the

Cha£. XX. Of B E N E F 1 T S. 71

Judge ; for po Law imaginable can fet it fhrth. One

Man ri'ues ffle tn Eftate ; another only kmls me n Sword,

and that Sword preienres m^ Life* Nay, the ^ry fame

Thing ieverstf Ways donifc,- changee the Qoality of the

Obligation. A Word, ft Tone} a Look) makca a great

Alteration in the Cale. How ihaM '«« judge then, and

determine the Matter .which does ndt dtpMid open thb

Fad itfelfTbat apon the Force and Intention of it ? Some

Things are reputed Benefit^ not for their Valot, bnt b<r-

canfe we defire them. And there are Offices ofa much

grdaterValoe, that we^do 9pt reckon apon- at all. H

Ingiatitude were Stable to a Law, we maft nei^er give^

'fmr before Witneflbs, whtdi would «?eitfaroW'the'Dtg»

' liity of the Benefit. And then the Punifliniedt mnft ei«

ther be equal, where the! Grimes are unequal, or efie it

muft be unrighteous : 60 that Blood muft anfwer fot

Blood. He that U ungrateful for my living his Life, muft

forfeit his own. And. what can be more inhuman, than

that Benefits ibould conclude in iatoguinary Events? A

Man Ikvfs mv Life, and I am nngmieflil for it : Shalt I

be puniihed m tny Purfcf ? That is; t^ little; if it be

lefs than the Benefit^ it tsunjoft, and it muft be capital

to be made equal to it. There tore moreover certain

Privileges* granted to Parent), that can never be reduced

to a common Rule : Their Injuries may be cognizable^

but' not their Benefits: The Diverfityof Cafin istoolarge

and intriciite, to be brought within tbeProTpefl of a Law :

So that ft is mtich m6re^equi«able to ponifll n<>ne, ^an

to pnnilh aft aSike. Whaf if k Man foltow^ a good Of-

fice With an Injury 1 whether or no (hdl this quit Seotta }

or y>hi(i fllall tompare them^ anfd vy«$gh the one agalnll

the ether? There is another Thing yet, which perhaps

we do not dream of: Not one Man upon the>Pace of the

£arth would eicajpe, and yet every Man would expe^

to be his own Judge. - Oncengain,* w^^are all of us un^

gratefuh; and the Number does not only take away the

Shame,' bat gives Authority and Protection to the

Wickedneis.

It is thought realbnable by fome, that there fhould be
a Law againA Ingratitude ; for, fay they, it is common
for one City to upbraid another, and to claim that of Po-
llerity which was beftowed upon their Anceilors : But,

4

72 SENECA Chap. XX.

• tf

this IS only ClamcKur without ReaJbn. It is. obje6^ed by
'Others, «s a DiftOQragemtnt to gpod Offices, if Men ihall
iRot bje made an Ai^rable for them ; but I fay, on the other
Side» that ho Maa would accept pf a Benefit upon thoib
Terms. H.^ that gives, is prompted to it1by:a Goodnefs
of Mind, 9ffkd the Gen^rofity 9f, the AdHon is leiTqned by
<^he Caution ; for it i^ his Defire that the Receiver fhould
.pJeaie himielf, and owe no more than he thinks fit. But,
what if this might occalion fewer Benefits, fo long as
Tthey woold be franker ? Nor ii. there ^ny FJort in £ut»
^p^ a Check, upon Raihnefs, and Profufion : In aniwer tp
^s ;-Men, will be careful caot^h whom they o))Ug«^
.without A. I4VV : Nor U It, poffible for a Judge ever ta
:(tt OS right in it; <or indeed any Thing elfe, but the Faith
of the Receiver. The Honouf of a fiene*fit is this Way
preferved, which is otherwife prophanedr when it comes
to be mercenary* and made Matter of Cootention, We
are even forward «no.Mgh of onrlelyesto ^wrangle with-
out unnisceiiary provocation a. It would be well, Ithii^k,
if Mepies wght pafs -Qpon the fame^ Conditions with
5>thef..BeDefit8t; and the Payfnent remitted x6 the Co^i*
Icience, without formalizing uj^on Bills and Securities :
£ut human Wifdoo) has rather advifed with Coqveqieoce
.<i|an Virtue ; and cfeofen rathei;toy2r<-^ Honeily, 'tKan
•€xpe^ it. . For tnery paultry Sum of Money, there. muil
:be ^od9, Witoeffes, Comiter-pajts, Pow«rs,.^t- which

is no. Qtbefi than a ihameft^j Con&ffion ot. Fraud apil
•Wickedoefs.; when more j^rcdit is given to p^^'^e^^
than to our Minds ; and, Caution. taken left he ^that^as
received .tfad Moneys ihoMld deny it. Were it n.ot b^jt^.
^er now to be deceived by fome, than to fuipe^ all i
What is the Difference, at this Rate, betwixt the Bene-
f£^r and an Ufurer, fave only that in the Bexiefador'^
Cafe» thexe is no Bo^y fiands ^und^^

I.

S E N E C A

r

S ■ ■ ■S-W^"^»"^i^'

SENECA

O F A

HAPPY LIFE.

C H A p. I,

Of a happy Lifij and wheriin it cmftfts. t

THERE ii not any Thin^ in this World, perhaps,
that is mo« talked of, and lefs underftood, than
the Bufiners of a Happ;) Life'. It is every Man'i
Wifli, and Deiign ; and yet Hot one of aTboufand that
knows wherein that Happinefs confifls. We Hve^hiw-
ever in a blind and eager Purfuit of it ; and the mare
Hade we make In a wrong Way, the farther we are
from our. Journey's End. Let us there fore /ry* confider.
What it ii "ii/t <wmilii bt ai ; and, fecondly, tAibich it
the rtaditft Way to cmnpafi it. If we be right, we fliall
Jind every Day htw much we improve ; but if we either
follow the Cry, or the Track of People that are out of
* the Way, we imill expefl to be milled, and to continue
our Days in Wandering and Error. Wherefore it highly
concerns us to take along with at a fkilful Guide ; for it
is not in this, as in other Voyages, where the High-wa^ .
brings us to our Place of Repole i or, if a Man ihould
happen to be out, wTiere the Inhabitant; might fet hiin
tight again : But, on the conirary, the beaten Road h

74 SENECA Chap. L

htre the moft dangeroos, and the People, inllfead of hdp-
iog OS, miiguide us. Let us not therefore follow, like
Beaftf, bot rather govern ourfelves by Rea/on than by
Example, It fares with as in human Life, as in a rout-
ed Army ; one Humbles firft, and then another falls tip*
on him, and fo they follow one upon the Neck of ano-
ther, 'till the whole Field con>es to be but one Heap of
Miicarriages. And the Mifchief is, that the Numhtr of
the Multitude carries it againft Truth and Juflice ; (o
that we 9iuft leave the Crowd, if we would be happy ;
for, the Qoeftion of a hapfj Life is not to be decided
by Vote: Nay, {q far from it, that Plnrality of Voices, is
ilill an Argument of the Wrong ; the common People
find it eaiier to believe than to judge ; and content them-
felves with what is nfual ; never examining whether it
be good or no." By the common People is intend ed> the
Jilan of Titlty as well as the clouted Shoei for I -do not
dillinguifh them by the Eye, but by the Mind, which is
the proper Judge of the Man. Worldly Felicity, I know,
makes the Head gi^dy ; but if ever a Man comes to
himfelf again, he will confeis. That ivhatfoen^er he has
doTUy he tuijtes undone ; and, that the Things he feared,
divert better than thofe he prayed Jtr,

The true Felicity of Life is, to be • Uct from Per-

'^cr II f^ tuibations; to underfland our Duties to- i
/ra5 nap- ^^j Q^^ ^^j ^^^ . ^^ ^^j^y thePrefent, 1

jir.ejs^ without any anxious Dependence upon the* '

Fu.ture. Not to amufe ourfelves with either Hopes or a
Jears, but to reft fatisfied with what we have, which is J
abundantly fufHcient ; for he that is ib, wants nothing.
The great Blelllngs of Mankind are within us, and with-
in our Reach ; but we (hut our Eyes, and, like People
in the Dark, we fall foul upon the yery Thing we fearch
i'or, without finding it. Tranquillity is a certain Equality
ofMind^t ixthich no Condition of Fortune can either exalt of
deprefs. Nothing can make it lefs ; for, it is the State
of human Perfe£tion : It raiies us as high as we can go ;
and makes every Man his own Supporter ; whereas he
that is born up by any Thing elfe may £dl. He that i
judges aright, and perfeveres in it, enjoys a perpetual
Calm : He takes a true Profpc£l of Things ; he obferves
an Order, Meafure, a Decorum in all his Actions : He

f

aap. I. . Of A H A P P Y L I F E, 75

hs^ Benevolence in bis Nature ; he fquares hh Life ac-
cording to Reafon ; and draws to bimfelf Love and Ad*
miration. Without a certain, and an unctian^eable
Judgraeot, all the reft is but Fle£tuation : But, Ke tJbaf
ftl'umys 'wills and nills the fame Things u urffouhuJiy in
the Right, Liberty and Serenity of Mind rauft necefTa*
rily enfue upon the maftering of thofe Things which ei*
therallure» or afiright us ; when, indead of thofe fiafby
Pleafures (which even at the beft are both vain and hurt*
fal together), we (hall find ourfelves poffefTed of Joyi
tranfportiag, and eve/iafting. It muft be 9i, found Mind
that makes a happy Man ; there muft be a Conftancy in
all Conditions ; a Care for "the Things of this World,
but without Trouble ; and fach an Indiflerency for the
Bounties of Fortunoy that either with them, or without
them, we may live con tehtedly. There muft be neither
Lamentation, nor Quarrelling, nor Sloth, nor Fear ; fot
it makes a Difcord in a Man's Life. He that fears ^
ferves. The Joy of a wife Man ftands firm without In-
terruption : In all Places, at all Times, and in all Con«
ditions, his Thoughts are chearftil and quiet. As it ne-
ver came in to him from 'withwt ; ft> it will never leave
him ; but,, is born within him, and infeparable from
him; it is a folicitous Life that is egged on with the
Hope of any Thing, tliough never fo open and eafy ;
nay, though a Man ihould never fuffer any Sort of Dif«
appointment. I do not ipeak this, either as a Bar tQ
the fair Enjoyment of lawfnl Pleafures, or to the gentle
Flatteries of reafonable Expedations : But, on the Con-
trary, I would have Men to be always in good Humour s
provided that it arifes from their own Souls, and be che^
riihed in their own Breafts. Other Delights are trivial ;
they may fmooth the Browi but they do not fill, and af-
fe& the Heart. True Joy is a ferene and fobtr Motion j
and they are miferably oat, that take Laughing for Re^
j^cing : The Seal of it is within, and there is no Chear-
fuinefs like the Refolutions of a brave Mind, that has
Fortune under its Feet. He that can look Death in the
Pace, and bid it welcome ; open his Door to Poverty,
and bridle kis Appetites ; this is 'the Man whom Provi«
dence has eftabliftied in the PoiTefiion of inviolable De-
lights* The Pleafures of the Vulgar are ynground«4»

E z

7$ SENECA. Chap. II.

thin, and fuperficial; but the other are folid and eternaL
As the Body itfelf is rather a ntcejfai^y Thingy than a
preat ; fo the Comforts of it are bat temporary and vain ;
Dcfide that, without extraordinary Moderation, their End
95 only PaiA^and Repentance. Whereas, a peaceful Con-*
fcience, honeft Thoughts, virtuous Adiions, and an In-
difference for cafual Events, are Bleflings without End,
Satiety, or Meafure. This confummated State of Fell-
city is only a Submiflioh to the Dictate of right Nature :
The Foundation of it is Wifdom and Virtue ; the KnoiAfUdge
ofnuhat ivecught to dtr^ and the ConfirmtTy of the Will^to
that Knowledge,

C H A p. II.

Human Happtnefs is founded upon Wifdom andVlt^
tuej andfirJiofVfiiAom^

TAKING fol- granted, that human Happinefs is
fpunded upon fVifdem and Virtue ^ we fliall treat
Upon thef^ two Points in order as they lie : Andfrfl of
Wifdom \ and not in the Latitude of its various Opera-
tions, but only as it has a Regard to good Life, and the
Happtnefs of Mankind.

' Wisdom * is the right Underftanding ; a Faculty of
* TV'fd difcerning Good from Evil ; what is to be
r ^/^* chofen, and what rejected ; a Judgment
rwbatttts, grounded upon the Value of Things, and
not the common Opinion of them ; an Equality of Force,
and the Strength of Refolution.- It fets a Watch over
our Words and Deeds, it takes up with the Contem-
plation of the Works of Nature ; and makes us invin-
cible, either by good or evil Fortune. It is large and
fpacious ; and requires a great Deal of Room to work
in ; it ranfacks Heaven and Earth ; it has for its Objed
Things pa(l« and J:o come; trandtory and eternal. A
examines all the Circumftances of Time ; nMhat it is ;
nxihen it began^ and houo long it nvill continue : And (b for
the Mif^, IV heme it earner luhat it is; avhen it hegins ;
ho*w long it lafls ; nvheiher or no it paffes from one Form
to another i or ferves only one; and wanders *when it

Chap. IL Of A H A P P Y L I F E. 77

leaves us ; njobere it abides in the Siatt of Separation, and
nuhat the A^ion of it ; nubat Ufe it makes of its Liberty ;
whether or no it ret aim the Memory of Things paji^ and
comes to the Knowledge of if/elf It is the Habit ot a per-
fefl Mind, and the Pcr.'edion of Humanity, raifca as
high as Nature can carry it. It differs from Philo/ophy^
as Avarxe and Money; the one defires, and the other is
dcfired ; the one is the EfFeft, and the Reward of the
other. To be wife, is the Ufe of Wifdom, as Seeing is
the Ufe of Eyes, and Well fpeaking the Ufe of Elo-
quence. He that.is perfc(!l]y wife, is perfeflly happy;
nay, the very Beginning of Wifdom makes Life eafy to as.
Neither is it enough to know this, unlefs we print it in
our Minds by daily Meditation, and fo bring a good PFill
to a good Habit, And we muft praftife what we preach :
For Ph%fophy is not a Subject for popular Oilcutation ;
nor does it reft in Words, but in Thinga : It is not aa
Entertainment taken up for Delight, or to give a Tafte to
our Leifure ; but it falhions «he Mind, governs our Ac-
tions, tells what we are to do, and what not. It Cts at
the Helm, and guides us through all Hazards : Nay, we
cannot be fafe without it, for every Hour gives us an Oc-
cafion to make ufe of it : It informs us in all the Duties of
Life, Piety to our Parents, Faith to oar Friends, Charity
to the Miferable, Judgment in Counfel ; it gives us Peace^
by fearing nothing, and Riches by co'ueting nothing.

• There is no Condition of Life that excludes a wife
Man from difcharging his Duty. If bis - ^ *r n/t
Fortune be good, he tempers it ; if bad, . "^ 'ItL ^''!^
he ma/iers it; if he has an Eftate, he will ^^f/^^^p'''
cxescifc his Virtue ip Plentv ; if none, "^^ ^««^'''^«^-
in Poverty ; if he cannot do it in his Country, he will
do it in BaniOiment ; if he has no Command, he will da
the Office of a common Soldier. Some People have the
Skill of reclaiming the fierceft of Beaffs : They will make
a Lion ehibrace his Keeper ; a Tyger kifs him, and an
Elephant kneel to him. This is the Cafe of a wife Mail
in the extrcameft Difficulties ; let them be never fo ter-
rible in themfelves, when they come to him once, they
are perie£lly tame. They that afcribe the Invention o£
Tillage, Archite£ture, Navigation, ^c. to wife Men, may

E3

7« S . E N E C A Chap. 11.

perchance be in the right, that they were invented by
wife Men ; but they were not invented by wi(e Men, as
nvi/e Mem : For Wifdom does not teach our Fingers, but
car Minds : Fiddling, and Dancing, Arms, and Forti-
^cations, Here the Works of Luxury and Difcord ; but
Wifdom Inffands us in the Way of Nature, and in the
Arts of Unity and Concord ; not in the lnftruments> but
In the Government of Life ; nor to make us live only,
but to live happily. She teaches us whatThings are good,
what evily and what only appear /b ; and to diflinguifh
betwixt true Greatnefs and Tumour, fhe clears our
Minds of Drofs and Vanity : She raifes up our Thoughts
to Heaven, and carries them down to Hell. She difcour-
fcs the Nature of the Soul ; the Powers and. Faculties of
it ; the fifft Principles of Things ; the Order gf Provi-
dcncc : She exalts us from Things corporeal, to incorpo*
real ; and retrieves the Truth of all : She (earches Na-
ture, gives Laws to. Life ; and tells us. That it is not
etict'ch to knenv Ga/, tmfejs nxe chey tim : She looks upon
sll Accidents, as Ads of Providence ; fets a true Value
vpon Things ; delivers us from falfe Opinions^ and con-
(^.emns all Pleafures that are attended with Repentance,
{rhe allows nothing to be good, that will not oe (q for
tvcr ; no Man to be happy, but he that needs no other
Happinefs than what he has within himfelf ; no Man to
be great, or powerful, that is not Mailer of himfelf*
*} his is the Felicity of human Life; a Felicity that can
.neither be cormpted, nw extinguished : It enquires into
the Nature of the Heavens, the Influence of the Stars,
how far tfoey operate upon our Minds and Bodies, which
Yhotights, though they do not form our Manners, they
do yet raife and difppfe us for glorious Things.

It is agreed on all Hands, That • Right Reafon is
• v L4 p tJ^f Per/e^iono/ human Nature^ SLXid Wifdom
Kigtt Hta^ ^^^y ^^^ -OxBiztz of it. The Greatnefs that
j^nu tf^^J'^' arifes ftom it, is folid, and imtnoveable ;
feaionof *«- ^^ Rcfolutions of Wifdom bejnf ft^, ab-
mans^atun, ^^j^^^ andconflant; whereas Folly is ne-
ver long pleafed widi the fame Thing, but Hill fhifting of
Counfels, and fick of ttfelf. There can be no Happinefs
without Conilancy, and Prudence ; fov^ a wife Man is
to write without a Blot ; and what he likes once, h«

Chap. IT. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 75

approves for ever : He admits of nothing that w either
evil, or flippery ; but marches without daggering or
fiambling, and is never furprifed : He lives always triie»
and fleady to himfclf, and whatfoever befals him, this
^reat Artificer of both Fortunes turns to Advantage. He
that demurs, and helitates, is not yet compofed : But
Wherefbever Virtue interpofes upon the Main, there mull
be Concord and Confent in the Parts. For all Viitaes aft
In Agreemient, as well as all Vices are at Variance. A
wife Man, in what Condition (bcver he is, will be ftill
happy, for he fubjefts all Things to himfelf, becaufc he
fubmits himfelf to Reafon, and governs his Anions by
Counfel, not by Pafilon. He is not moved with the ut-
mod Violences of Fortune, nor with the Extremities of
Fire and Sword ; whereas a Fool is afraid of his own Sha*
dow, ^nd furprifed at ill Accidents, as if they were all
levelled at him. He does nothing unwillingly, for what-
ever h^ finds nccefiary, he makes it his Choice. He pro-
pounds to himfelf the certain Scope and End of human
Life : He follows that which conduces to it, and avoids
that which hinders it. He is content with his Lot, what-
ever it be, without wifiiing what he has not ; though
of the two, he had rather abound than want. The great
Bufinefs of Life, like that of Nature, is performed with-
out Tumult, or Noife : He neither fears Danger, nor
provokes it ; but it is his Caution, not any want of Cou-
rage ; for Captivity, Wounds, and Chains, he only looks
•upon as falfe and lymphatical Terrors. He does not pre-
tend to go through with whatever he undertakes ; but
*to do that jwell which he does. Arts are but the Servants,
Wifdom commands ; and where the Matter fails, it is
Hone of the Workman's Fault. He is cautelotis in doubt-
ful Cafesy in Profperity temperate, and refolute in Ad-
yer£ty; ilill making the bdl of evbry Condition, and
improving all Occafions to make them ferviceable to his
Fate. Some Accidents there are, which { confefs may
afied him^ but not overthrow him; as bodily Pains, Lo^
of Children and Friends ; the Ruin and Defolation of a
Man's Country. One muft be made of Stone, or Iron,
not to-be fenfiole of thefe Calamities ; and befide, it wete
M Virtue to tear them, if a Body did not feel them*

E 4

$o SENECA Chap.Iir*

There arc * tJbr^e Degrees cfProfcteuts io the School
^7h D r ®^ Wifdom. Thtfirfi are thofc that come

tp^'r ' ^^^'V within the Sight of it, hut not up to it :
ff.^rj ' ' " They have learned what they ought to

' '^' ^ "' dp, but they have not put their Know-

ledge in PraAice : They are paft the Hazard of a Re-
lapie,^ but they have ^ill the Grudges of a Difeafe,
ihough they are out of the Danger of it. By a Difeafe»
1 do undtrlhnd an Obllinacy in Evil, or an ill Habit»
that makes us over- eager upon Things, which are either
not much to be defired, or not at all. hfecond Sort,
are thofe that have fubjefted their Appetite for a Seafon,
but are yet in fear of falling back. A third Sort, are
thofe that are clear of many Vices, but not of all. They
«re not covetous, but perhaps they are choleric ; not
lu.'lful, but perchance ambitious ; they are firm enough
in fome Cafes, but weak in others : There are many that
♦Jefpife Death, and yet (brink at Pain. There are Di-
\C(ficies in wife Men, but no Inequalities ; one is more
^li'able ; another more,ready ; a third, a better Speaker';
but the Felicity of them all is e^ual. It is in this, as in
heavenly Bodies ; there is a certain State in Greatnefi.

In civil and domcllic Affairs a f wife Man may (land
^ A ^T M. ^^ need^pf Counfel, as of a Phyfician, an
7 -^"^ A> y Advocate, a Solici^tor, but, in greater
mJ7eldCou^. Matters, the Bleffing of wife Men refts in
fei °^^' ^^® -f^y ^^^y ^^® ^^ ^^^ Communication

. ' of their Virtues. If there were nothing

^Ife in it, a Man would apply himfelf to Wifdom, be-
cauie it fettle« him in 9 perpetual Tranquillity of Mind*

CHAP. IIL

Th€r€ can be no Happinefs withut Viriue.

VIRTUE IS that perfea Good which is the Com-
plement of a happy Life ; the onlyimmorta! Thin?
thi.t belongs to Mortality : It is the Knowledge both ot

rg^

a^p.IIL Of A HAPPY LIFE. . it

others, and itielf ; it is an invincible Greatneis of Mind^
not to be, elevated or dejeded, with good or ill Fortune.
It is fbciable, and gentle, free, fleady, and fearlefs ; con-»
tent within itfelf, fall of inexhauflible Delight ; and it
is valued for itielf One may be a good Phyfician, a good
Governor, a good Grammarian, without being a good
Man ; fo that all Things from without, arc only Accef-
faries ; for the Seat of it is a pure and holy Mind. It con«
Ms in a Congruity of Aftions ; which we can never ex-
peft, fo long as we are diftrafted by our Paffions. Noc
but that a Man may be allowed to change Colour and
Countenance, and fufFer fuch Impreflions as are proper-
' ly a kind of natural Force opon the Body, and not imder
the Dominion of the Mind : But, all this while, 1 will
have his Judgment firm, and he (hall a6l {leadily> and
boldly, without wavering betwixt the Motions of hi*
Body, and thofe of his Mind, It is not a Thing indiffe-
rent, I know, whether a Man lies at Safe upon a Bed^
or in Torment upan a Wheel : And yet the former may-
be the worfe of the two, if we fuHer the latter with Ho-
nour, and enjoy the other with Infamy. It is not ther
Matter^ bat the' Hrtue -that makes the* Adtton ooo^ or
iU : and he that is led in Tfiumph, may be yet greater
than his Conqueror. When we come once to value our
Ftefh above ourHbnefty, we arc loft: And yet' I wbulct
not prcfs upon Dangers, no not fo much as upoa lucon*
veniencies, unlefs where the Man and the Bru*e come iii>
Competition : And, in fuch a Cafe, leather than make ac^
Forfeiture of my Credit, my Reafon, or my- Faith, I
would run all Extremities. They are. great Bleffings to
have t.-ader Parents, dutiful Children, and to live undeir
a juft, and well-ordered Government, Now^ would it
noc trouble even a viititousMan, to fee his Children but-^
ch'^red before his Eyes, his Father made a Shve, artdfe
^is Country over run by a barbarous Eneniy f There U
a great Difference betwixt the flmple Lofs^of a BlefHng^
and the fucceeding of a great Miichief into the Place of
It over and above. The Lofs of Health is followed witli
Sicknefs ; and the Lo6 of Sight wicb Blindnefe ; but^
this does not hold in the Lofs of Friends and Children^
iwhere there is rather fometh^ng to the contrary to fur-
jly tiat Loisi that is to fay, Hrtue, which illh tSic

ti SENECA, Chap.nf.

Mind, and takes away the Deflre of what we have not*
What matters it whether the Water be ftopt, or no, fo
long as the Fountain is fafe ? Is a Man ever the wi(er
for a Multitude of Friend5» or the more foolifh for the
Lofs of them ? So neither is ht the happier, nor the
more miferable. Short Life, Grief and Pain, are Ac-
ceffions that have no EfFedl at all upon Virtue. It con-
iMs in the Adion, not in the Things we do: In the Choice
itfelF, and not in the Sabjeft-matter of it. It is not a de-
fpicable Body, or Condition ; not Poverty, Infamy, or
Scandal, th^t can obfcure the Glories of Virtue ; but a
Man may fee her through all Oppofitions, and he that
looks diligently into the State of a wicked Man, will fee
the Canker at his Heart, through all the falie and daz-
ling Splendors of Greatnefs and Fortune. We ihall then
difcover our Childijhnefs^ in letting our Hearts upon
Things tiivial and contemptible ; and in the (elling of
Our very Country and Parents for a Rattle. And what
is the Difference (in Eifedl) betwixt old Men and Children^
but that the one deals in Paintings and Statues^ and the
6iher in Babies ? So that we ourfelves are only the more
ex pea five Fools.

* If one could but fee the Mind of a good Man, as it is.

♦ T/» D* 7 ill unrated with Virtue; the Beauty and
- ,, f ''^'" ^ the • Majefty of it, which is a Dignity

-^ * * rot fo much as to be thought of, without
Love, and Veneration; would not a Man blefs himfelf
at the Sight of fuch an Objedt, as at t^le Encounter of
fome fupernatural Power ? A Power fo miraculous that
it is a kind of Charm upon the Souls of thofe that are
truly afFedled with it. There is fo wonderful a Grace
and Authority in it, that even the worfV of Men approve
it, and fet ap for the Reputation of being accounted vir-
tuous themfelves. They covet the Fruit indeed, and the
Profit of Wickednefs, but they hate, and are alhamed of
the Imputation of it. It is by an Impreifion of Nature,
that all Men have a Reverence for Virtue : They know
it, and they have a Refpe^l for it, though they do not
pra6li(e it: Nay, for the Countenance of their very
Wtckednefsy they mifcal it Virtue, Their Injuries they
call Benefits, and exped a Man fhduld thank them for
doing him a Mifehief s they cover their moft notorious

I

cfap-Jtr. or A^HTAPrv'trFE. gfj,

ruiquities with a Pretext of Juflice. He that^robs opon
Che Hjgh*way had rather find his Booty than force ir..
A(k any of them that live upon Rapine, Fraud, Opprei^
fion, if they had not rather enjoy a Fortune honefily
^gotten, and their Confciences will not fuffer them to de-
ny it. Men are vicious only for the Profit of Villany ;
for at the fame time that they commit it, they condemn^
it. Nay fb powerful is Virtue^ and (b gracious is Pro-
vidence, that every Man has a Li^t fet up within him
fbr a Guide ; which we do all of us both fee and ac-
knowledge, though we do not purTuc it. This is it that
makes the Prifoner upon the Torture happier than the
Executioner, and Sicknefs better than Heahli, if we
bear it wiilioot yielding or repining : This is it that over-
comes ill Fortune, ana moderates good ; for it marches
i>etwixt the one and the other, with an equal Contempt
of bothw It turns (Tike Fire) all Things into itfcJf 5 our
Adlions, and oar Friend (hips are tindlared with it ; and
whatever it touches, becQines amiable. That which is>
frail and mortal, rifes, and falls, grows, wades, and va*
^ ries from itfelf ; but the State of Things divine is al-
ways the fame : And (o is Virtue, let the Matter be*
what it will. It is never the worfe for the Difficulty of
the A^on, nor the better for the Eafinefs of it. It is-
the fame in a rich Man, . as in a poor ; in a fickly Man,
as in a found ; in aflrong, as in a weak : tiie Virtue of
the Beiieged is as great as that of the Beficgers. There
are fome Virtues- 1 confefs, which a good Man cannot
be without, and yet he had rather have no Occa/ion to
employ them. If there were any Difference, I fliould
prefer the Virtues of Patience before thofe of Pleafure :
for it is braver to break through Difficulties, than to tem*-
per our Delights. But» though the Subje^ of Virtue
may poilibly be againft Nature, as to be burjit or
wounded ; yet the Virtue itfelf of an in*vinabJe FatU
tnce is according to Nature. We may feem perhaps-
to promife -more than human Nature^is able to per*
form,- bn( we fpeak with a Refpe^t to the Mind, and«
not to the Body.

a^ Matt' doei* ttot live tip to his o>vq Rules^ . it. is^

.&4'

84 SENECA' Ch«p. HI

• <rt jitrti foracthiof ♦ yet tp have virtoous Mc-

^"^^^V Citations, and good Purpofcs ; even with-
V accepted J or cv* v^» i. * •

tbe heei ^"^ aaing : It is generous, the "vtry Ad-.

venture of being good, and the bare Pro-
pofa! of an eminent Courfe of Life, the' beyond the Force
of human Frailty to accomplifh. There is fomething of
Honour yet in the Mifcarriage ; nay, in the naked Con-
templation of it': I would receive my own Death with
as little Trouble, as I would hear of another Man's ; I
would bear the fame Mind, whether I be ricb or poor,
whether I gef or lofe in the World; what I have, I will
not cither fordidly fpare, or [Prodigally fquander away ;.
and I will reckon upon Benefits well-placed, as the fair-
oft Part of my Pofleflions : Not valuing them by Nam-^
bcr or Weight, but by the Profit and Efteem of the Re-
cetver ; accounting myfelf never the poorer for that
which I give to a worthy Perfon. What I do fhall be
done fdr Confcience, not OHentation. J will eat and
drink, not to gratify my Palate, or only to fill and emp-
ly, but to fatisfy Nature : I will be chearful to my
Fiiends, mild and placable to my Enemies : I will pre-
vent an honed Requefl, if I can forefee itr and I will
grant it without alking : I will look upon the whole
World as my Country, and upon the Gods, both as the
Witnefles and the Judges of my Words and Deeds. I
\rill live and die with this Teftimony, T hat I loved
' good Studies, and a good Confcience; that I never in-
vaded another Man's Liberty, and that I prefcrvcd my
own. I will govern my Life, and my Thoughts, as if
the whole World were to fee the one, and to read the^
other ; for, What does it fignijy, to make of^y Thing .a
S, cret to my Neigbbourt nvhen to God (who is the Search-
er of our Hearts) ail our Pri'vacies are ef^n,

V^iRTUE is divided into two VzxiSf^ Contemplathn
* V t ' d' ^^^ ^Bion, The one is delivered by

./^''V^'" Inflitution, the other by Admonition:
ydedintoConr ^^^ ^^^ ^^ y^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^ j^.^..

amplation and ^jj^^. ^^^ ^^^^ .^^ Exerciie; for we
-^^^"^ muft firft learn, and then pfadUfe.

The fooncr we begin to apply ourielves to it, and
the more Hafle we jnake« the longer ihali we en-*

CJap.III. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 8j

joy the Comforts of a redified Mind ; nay, wc have the
Fruition of it in every Ad of Forming it; but it is an«
other ibrt of Delight, I muft confefs, that arifes from the
Contemplation ofa Soul, which is advanced into the Pof* •
feffion of Wifdom and Virtue. 1 fit was fo great a Com-
fort to usy to pafs from the Subjedion of our Childhood
into a ^tate of Liberty, and Bufineis ; how much greater
will it be, when wc come to call off the boyilh Levity
of our Minds, and range our(elves among the Philofo-
pfiers ? We are pad our Minority, it is true, but notour
indifcretions ; and,' which is yet worfe, we have the Ao-
thority of Seniors, and the Weaknefles of Children ; (t
might have faid of Infants, for every little Thing fright*
the one, and every trivial Fancy the other.) Whoever
iludies this Point well, will find, that many things are the
lefs to be feared, the more terrible they appear. To think
any thing good that is not honed, were to reproach Pro-
vidence; for good Men fuffer Inconveniencies ; but Vir-*
ttic like the Sun goes on Hill with her Work, let the Air
be never (6 cloudy, and finifhes her Courfe; extingui/h-
ing likewife all other Splendors, and Oppofitlons ; info-
much that Calamity is no more to a virtuous l^ind, thai>
a Shower into the Sea. That which is right, is not to be
valued by ^antity^ Numbir, or Time-y a Life of a Day .
may be as honed as a Life of an hundred Years ; but yet
Virtue in one Man may have a larger Field to ftiew itfelf
in, than in another. One M^n perhaps may be in a S tac-
tion to adminider unto Cities and Kingdoms ; to-con-
trive good Laws, creatp Friendftiips, and do beneficial
Odices to Mankind: It is another Man's Fortune to be
ftraitned by Poverty, or put out of the way by Banifhment ;
and yet the latter may be as virtuous as the former ; and
may have as great a Mind, as exad aPrudence, as invio-
lable a Judice, and as large a Knowledge of things both
divine and human; witliout which, aMancannoe be hap-
py. For Virtue is open to all; as well to Servants ard
Exiles as to Princes : It is profitable to the World, and to
itfelf, at allDidancesy and in all Conditions; and theie
is no Difficulty can excufe a^an from the Exerci/e of
it'; and it is only to be found in a wife Man, thoug)»
there may be ibme faint Refemblances of it in the com-
mon People. ' The Stoicks hold all Viitues to be equal |

t6 _ SENECA Cfiap.!!!.

but yet there is a great Variety in the Matter they have to*
work upon, according as it is larger or narrower ; illuA
trious or lefs noble ; of more or lefs Extent; as all good-
Men are equal ; that Is to (ay, as they are good ; but yet
One may be young, another old ; one may be rich, ano«
ther poor; one eminent and powerful, another un-
known and obfcure. There are many Things which have
little or no Grace in themfeivesy and yet are made glo-
rious and remarkable by Virtue. Nodiing can be good
which gives neither Greatnefs nor Security to the Mind ^
but on the contrary, infers it with Infolence, Arrogance,
and Tumour : Nor does Virtue dwell upon the Tip of
the 't'ongue, but in the Temple of the purified Heart. He
that depends upon any other Good, becomes covetous of
Life, and what belongs to it ; which expofes a Man to
Appetites that are vaft, unlimited and intolerable. Vir-
tue, is free, and indefatigable, and accompanied with
Concord and Gracefulneis : Whereas Pleafure is mean^,
fervile, tranfitory, tirefomc, and iickly, and fcarcely out-
lives the tailing of it : It is the Good of the Belly, and
not of the Man, and only the Felicity of Brutes. Who
does not know that Fools enjoy their Pleafures, and that
there is great Variety in the Entertainments of Wicked-
nefs ? Nay, the Mind itfelf has its Variety of perverfe
Pleafjrcs, as well as the Body; as Infolence, Self con-
ceit, Pride, Garrulity, Lazinef?, and the abufive Wit of
turning every Thing into Ridicule ; whereas Virtue weighs'
all this, and correfls it. It is the Knowledge both of
others and of itfelf; it is to be learned from itfelf; and,
the very Will itfelf is to betaught r Which Will cannot
be right unlefs the whole Habit of the Mind be right,
from whence the Will comes. ' It Is by the Impulfe of
Virtue that we love Virtue, fo that the very Way to Vir*-
lue lies by Virtue, which takes in alfo, at a View, the- .
Law^ of human Life.

Neither are we to value ourfelv€s upon a Day of.
. r-r^^ Hour, or any one Aftion, but upon

^'Tz 7; / the whole Habit of the Mind. Some
Mfti^aUo/a ^^^ ^^ one Thing bravely, but not
Pi^^f' another ; they will 'ilhrink at Infamy,

and bear up againft Poverty : In this Cafe we commend'
the Fa4lj and defpifc the Man, The Soul is never hr the

Chap.m. Of A HAPFY LIFE. 'S^

tight Place until it be delivered from the Cares of hu*
inan Afiatrs: We muft labour and climb the Hill, if we
will arrive at Virtue, whofe Seat is on the Top of it. He
that mafters Avarice, ami i^ truly good, ihmds firm agalnft
Ambition ; he looks upon his lafl Hour, not as aPunifh-
fiient, but as the "Sffimy of a common Fate ; he that fub*
dues his Carnal LuRs, Ihall eafily keep himfelf untainted
with any other : So that Reafon does not encounter this
Or that Vice by itfelf, but beats down all at a Blow.
What does he care for Ignominy, that only values him-
felf upon Confcience, and not Opinion ? Spcrates looked
a fcandalous Death in the Face, with the fame Conllait-
cy that he had before pradifed towards the thirty Ty-
rants : his Virtue confecrated the very Dungeon : As Ca-
/o's Repnlfe was Cato's Honour, and the Reproach of the
Government. He that is wife, will take Delight even in
an ill Opinion that is well gotten ; it is Oftentation, not
Virtue^ when a Man will have his good Deeds publifhed ;
and it is not enough to bejuft, where there is Honour to
be gotten, but to continue {o, in Defiance of Infamy
and'Danger.

But Virtue cannot lie hid, for the Time will come
that. • (hall raife it again, (even after it is ^ r^-
buried) and deliver it from the Malignity ''^''•^^;*»
of the Age that oppreflcd it : Immortal *^Ty •^''^"
Glory is the Shadow 6f it, and keeps it r^^M'^*'*
Company whether we ,will ^or no ; but fometimes the
Shadow ' goes before the Subftance, and other whiles
it follows it : and the later it comes, the larger it is,
when even Envy itfelf fliall have given way to it. It was
a long time that Democritus was taken for a Madman,
•nd before Socratet had any Efteem in the World.
How long was it before Cato could be underftood ? Nay,
^e was affronted, contemned and reje£led ; and People
never knew the Value of him, until they had loft him :
The Integrity and Courage of mad RutiUus had been
forgotten, but for his Sufferings. I fpeak of thofe that
Fortune has made famous for their Perfecutione : And there
are others alfo that the World never took notice of, until
they were dead ; as Epicurus^ and Metrodorus, that were
t^lmoft wholly unknown, even in the Place where they
lived. Nov^i AS ihe^ody is to be kept in upon the Dowii«

M SENECA Chap. IV.

litly and forced upwards ; (b there are fome Virtues that
require the Retn» and others the Spur, In Liberality^
Temperance, Gentlene/s of Nature, we are to check our-
felves* for fear of falling ; bat in Patience^ Hefolutiom
and Per/everance, where we are to mount the Hill, we
ftand in need of Encouragement. Upon this Divifion of
the Matter* I had rather fleer the fmoother Courfe, than
pafs through the Experiments of Sweat and Blood : I
know it is my Duty to be content in all Conditions ; but
yet if it were at my Eledlion, 1 vvould chufe the faired-.
When a Man comes once to (land in need of Fortune,
his Life is ^nxious^ fafpiciousy timorous, dependent upon
every Moment, and in fear of all Accidents. How can
that Man reiigi;i himfelf to God, or bear his Lot, what-
ever it be, without murmuring, and chearfully fubmit
to Providence ; that (brinks at every Motion of Pleafure,
or Pain ! It is Virtue alone that raifes us above Griefs,
Hopes, Fears, and Chances ; and makes us not only pa-
tient, but willing, as Icnowing that whatever we fuffer,
is according to the Decree of Heaven. He that is over-
come with Pleafure ( (o contemptible and weak an Ene-
my) what will become t)f him when he is come to grap- .
pie with Daggers, Neceidttes^ Torments, Death, and
the Diflblution of Nature itfelf ? Wealth, Honour, and
Favour may come upon a Man by Chance ; nay, they
may be ca(l upon him without fo much as looking after
them ; but Virtue is the Work of Induftry and Labour ;
and certainly it is worth the while to purchafe that Good
which brings all others along with it. A good Man is
happy within himfelf, and independent upon Fortune ;
kind to his Friend^ teno^perate to his Enemy; religi-*
6u{ly-juil; indefatigably laborious;, and he difcharges
all Duties with & Conftancy, and Congruipy of A6lions«

4M*'***.M>*a*>a«Mia«^a

I

CHAP. IV,

Phlhfophy is the Guide of Life*

F It be trupf That th^ Vnderftan^ing^ and the iVilh
are the two emmnt Facultici of tin redfcaahk Sou* f

Chap. IV. Of A H A P P Y L I F E. f^

it follows neceflarily, that Wifddm and Virtue ^ (which
^ire the beft finprovements of thefe two Faculties) Uiuft
be the Pcrfeftion alfo of our reafinahU Being ; and con-
lequcntly the undeniable Foundation of a happy Life*
There is not any Duty to which Providence has not an-
nexed a Bleffing ; nor any IniUtution of Heaven, which,
even in this Life, we may not be the better for; nor any
Temptation, either of Fortune or of Appetite, that is not
fubjeft to our Rea(bn ; nor any Pailion or AfHidion, for
which Virtue has not provided a Remedy. So that it is
our own Fault if we either fear or hope for any thing ;
which two AfFedlions are the Root of rail our Miferies.
From this general Profpeft of the Foundation of our Tran--
'quillityy we (hall pafs by Degrees to a particular Confi-
deration of the Meam by which it may be procured ; and
o^ >l\it Imipediments l\i2X oh /iruStii\ beginning with that
Pbilofofhy which principally regards our Manners^ and
inftru^s us in the Meafures of a virtuous and quiet Life.
•Philosophy is divided into mtral, natural^ and
'rational: The frjl concerns our Manners ; ^ ntj r ^
the ^r^Wfearches the Works of Nature i ^^^ly^^
and the tbird furnilhes us with Propriety "'*^''^ ^J'^'
of IFords and Argumentj, and the Faculty ^[^1^*1
of Difingttijhingt that we may not be im*
pofed upon with Tricks and Fallacies. The Caufes of
Things fall under Natural Fhilofophy ; Argument Sy under
Rational \ and J^ionst under Mor^L Moral Philofophy
is again divided into Matter of y»y?7V^ which arifcsfrbm
the £ilimation of Things, and of Men; and into Affe^li^
ons ; and Anions ; and a Failing in any one of thefe, dif-
orders all the refl : For what does it profit us to know
the true Value of Things, if we be tranfported by our
Paflions ? Or, to mailer our Appetites, without under-
Handing the wheny the ^jihatt the ho*w, and other Cir«
cumftances of our Proceedings ? For, It is one thing to
know the Rate, andDignitv of Things; and another to
know the little Nicks and Sprmgs of AfUng. Natural
Fbihfofhy is converfant about Things corporeal and incor-
poreal ; the Difquifition of Cavfes and FffeSlu and the
CoDtemplatfOn of the Caufe of Caufes : Rational Pkih*
fophy is divided into Logic and Rhetoric ; the one looks.
' after fFtrdi^ Senfe, and Order i the other treats bar«iy

'*

^d SENECA Chap.nr.

'cflFordst and the Signifieaiion of them. Socrafes places
all Pbih/ophy m Morals \ and Wijdom in the diftinguifti-
IngofGood and E*vi/, It is the Art and Law of Life,
and it teaches us what to do in all Cafes, and like
good Markfnicn, to hit the White at any Diftance. The
Force of it is incredible; for it gives us, in the Weak-
nefs of a Man, the Security of a Spirit : In Sicknefs it is
as good as a Remedy to us ; for whatfoever eafes the
Mind, is profitable alfo to the Body. The Fhyfeuan may
prefcribe Diet and Exercife, and accommodate his Rule
and Medicine to the Difeafe ; but it is PhiUfophy that muft
bring us to a Contempt of Death, which is the Remedy
of all Difeafcs. In Poverty, it gives us Riches, or fuch
.a State of Mind, as makes them fu peril uous to us. It
arms us againft all Difficulties : One Man is prefled with
Death, another with Poverty, (bme with Envy, others
are offended at Providence, and unfatisficd with the Con-
dition of Mankind. But PJbife/bphy mompis us to relieve
the Prifoner, the Infirm, the NeceUitous, the Condem-
ned ; to ihew the Ignorant their Errors, and redlify their
^ffe£lions« It makes us infpedt and govern our Manner^ ;
it roufes us where we are faint and drowfy ; ft binds up
what is loofe. and humbles in us that which is contuma-
cious : It delivers the Mind from the Bondage of the Bo-
dy, andraifes it up to the Contemplation of its divine O-
Tiginal. Honours, Monuments, and all the Works of
Vanity and Ambition are demoHQied and deliroyed by
Time, but the Reputation of Wifdom is venerable to Po-
Jlerity; andthofe that were envyed or neglefted in their
Lives', are adored in their Memories, and exempted from
the very Laws of Created Nature, which has fet Bounds
to all other Things, The very Shadow of Glory carries
a Man of Honour upon all Dangers, to the Contempt of
Fire and Sword ; and it were a Shame, if right Reajon
fheuld notinfpire as generous Refolutions into a Man of
Firfui.

NfiiTHBR is Philo/ophy only profitable to the Public^

• O W f M ^^^ * ^^^ ^ ^^xi helps another,

"t .L *" eyen in the Exercife of their Virtues ;
teaches amtber. ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ j^^^ ^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ y^^y^

for Converfation and Counfel ; for they kindle a mutual
'Emalation in good Offices. We are not fo perfect yet|

Cliap. IV. Of A HAPPY LIFE. '9I

t>ut that many new Things remain flill to be* found 6ut,
which will give us the reciprocal Advantages of inftru6t-
ing one another : For, as one wicked Man is contagious
to another; and, the more Vices are mingled, the worfe
it is : fb is it on the contrary with good Men^ and their
Virtues. As Men of Letters arc the moft ufcful and ex-
cellent of Friends, fo are they the beft of Subje6ls ; at
being better Judges of the Bleflings they enjoy under a
ivell ordered Government, and of what they owe to the
Magiflrate for their Frecdt)m and Protedlion, They arc
Men of Sobriety and Learning, and free f om Boafiing
and Infolence : They reprove the Vice, without reproach*
ing the Pcrfon ; for they have learned to be wife, with-
out either Pomp or Envy. That which we fee in high
Mountains, we find in Phil ff hers ^i they fecm taller
near hand than at a Diflance. ' They are raifed above o*
ther Men, but their Greatnefs is fubflantial. Nor do
they ftand upon the Tiptoe, that they may fecm higher
than they are, but content with their own Stature, they
reckon themfelves tall chough when Fortune cannot reach
them. Their Laws are ihort, and . yet comprehenfive
" too, for they bind all.

It is the Bounty of Natun that we //iv, but of
• Fhih/ophy that we li<ve weii; which is in » p/./ /^i;
Truth, a greater Benefit than Life itfelf , ^«''>W
Not but that Philofophy is alfo the Gift J/^^y;
of Heaven, fo far as to the Faculty, but '^^
not to the Science j for that mufl be the Bufinefs of
Jnduftry. No Man is born wife: But Wifdom and
Virtue requires a Tutor, though we can feafily learn to
be vicious without a Mafter. It is Philofophy that givct
. us a Veneration for God ; a Charity for our Neighbour ;
that teadies us our Duty to Heaven, and exhorts us to
an Agreement one with another : It unmafks Things that
are terrible .to us» affwages ourLufls, refutes our Errofs^
retrains our Luxury, reproves our Avarice, and works
fltangely upon tender Natures. I could nev«r hear Ai*
taltti (fays Seneca) upon the Vices of the Age, and the
Errors of Life, without a Compaffionfbr Mankind; and
in his Difcourfcs lipon Poverty, there was fomething me-
thought that was more than human. More than *we t^a
(fays he) it more than tMi »«</, and only a Bitrden ta tJ^i:

gj . S E ,N ,E C A . Chap. IV.

Bearer. That Sa)ring of his put me out of Countenance
at the Superfluities of my own Fortune. And (b in his In«
ve£lives againil vain Pkafures ; he did at fuch a Rate ad-
vance the Felicities of a fober Table, a pure Mind» and
a challe Body, that a Man could not hear him without a
Love for Continence and Moderation. Upon thofe Lee*
lures of his, I denyed myfelf, for a^while after, certain
Delicacies that I had formerly ufcd : but in a (hort time
.*! fell to them again ^ though fo ibaringly, that the Pro-
portion came little (hort of a total Abdinence.

Now to ftiew you (fays our Author) how much car-
')r L ' ^ . nefter my Entrance upon Philofophy was
, /r than my Frogreis; my Tutor ^oiicn

yr^*^ ^' gave me a wonderful Kindnefs for Py-
frejjicns. tkagorai ; and ^fter him ^r Sextius :

The former forbore (bedding of Blood, upon hjs Mf-
tetrpfychofii ; and put Men in fear of it, left they (ho u Id
. offer Violence to the Souls of fomc of their departed
Friends and Relations. Whether (fays he) thtre be a
^ranjmigration or not \ if it J>e true, there u no Hurt
in it ; iffalfe^ there is Frugality : And nothing it gotten
by Cruelty neither, hut t^e Cozening a IVolf, perhaps, or
• a f^ulture, v/a Supper. Now Sextius abftained upon an-
other Account ; which was, That he ivould not hdnte
' Men inikred to Hardnefs of Heart ^ iy the Laceration and
Tormenting of living Creatures ; hejiie that feature had
fyjffieiemly fro'vided for the Sujienance of Mankind, nvi/h"
' out Blood, This wrought fo far upon me, that 1 gave
over eating of Fle(h ; and in one Year made it not only
eafy to me, but pleafant; my Mind me thought was more
at Liberty (and I am ftill of Uie fame Opinion) but I gave
it over neverthejefs, and the Reafon was this.; it was
' imputed as a Superilition to the feivs the Forbearance of
fome forts of Flem, and my Father brought me back again
to my old Cuftom, that I might not be thought tainted
with their Superftition. Nay, and I had much ado to

frevail upon myfelf to fuiFer it too. I make ufe of this
nftance to (hew the Aptnefs of Youth to take good Im-
' preflions, if there be a Friend at hand to prefs them. Phi-
lofophers are the Tutors of Mankind; if they have found
out Remedies for the Mind, it muft be our Part to apply
ithem. I cannot think of Ca/o, Le/ius, Socrates$ PUum^

Chap. IV. Of A H A P P y L I F E. gy

without Veneration ; their very Names are (acred to mc.
Philofophy is the Health of the Mind \ let us look to that
Health firft^ and in the fecond Places to that of the Bo-
dy, which may be had upon eafier Terms ; for a Urong
Arm, a robuftConflitution, or the Skill of procuring this,
IS not a Phloibpher's Bufinefs. He does (ome Things as
a kvi/e Man, and oth^r Things as he is a Man ; and he
may have Strength of Body as well as of Mind ; but if
he runs or cafts the Sledge, it were injurious to afcribe
that to his Wifdom which is common to the greateil of
Fools. He ftudies rather to fill his Mind than his Cof- .
fers ; and he knows that Gold and Silver were mingled
with Dirt, until Avarice or Ambition parted them. His
Life is ordinate, feaflefs, equal, fecure ; he ^ands firm
in all Extremities, and bears the Lot of his Humanity
with a divine Temper. There is a great Difference be-
twixt the Splendor of Philofophy, and of Fortune ; the
Qne fhines with an original Light, the other with a bor-
rowed one ; befide, that it makes us happy^ and immor-
tal ; for Learning (hall out-live Palaces and Monuments*
The Houfe of a wife Man is fafe, though narrow ; there
is neither Noife nor Furniture in it ; no Porter at the
Door, nor any thing that is either vendible, or mercenary,
nor any Bufinefs of Fort ane ; for (he has nothing to do,
where (he has nothing to look after. This is the way to
heaven, which Nature has chalked out, and it is both
feci^re and pleafant ; there needs no Train of Servants,
no Pomp^ or Equipage, to make good our Paflage; no
Money, or Letters of Credit, for Expences upon the
Voyage ; but the Graces of an honeft Mind will (erve
us upon the Way, and make us happy at our Journey's
End.

To tell you my Opinion now of • ihe liberal Sciences ;
r have no great Efteem for any that ^ q-i jl i o *
terminates in Profit, or Money; and ^ ^' ^'^'^f Set.
yet I (hall allow them to be fo far '"'" ^''^^.^^''r
beneficial, as they only prepare the ^l*^'^jf ^^^^^fity

Underftanding, without detaining it. ^^*" ^'''^'"*
They are but the Rudiments of Wifdom ;' and only then
to be learned when the Mind is capable of nothing
better; and the Knowledge of them is better worth
the keeping than the acquiring \ they do not fo much

9+ SENECA Chap. IV.

as pretend ta the making of us virtuoas» but only to giye
u& an Aptitude of Difpofition to be fo. Tht Gramma^
rian^s Buiinefs lies in a Syntax of Speech ; or if he pro-
ceed to Hijlorjj or the Meafuring of a P^e'-Je, he is at
the End of his Line : but what iigoifies a Congruity'
of Periods, the computing of Syllables, or the modifying
of Numbers, to the Taming of our Paffions, or the
Reprcffing of our Lufts ? The Pbilofophir proves the
Body of the Sun to be large, but for the true Dimenfi-
ens of it, we muft afk the Mathtmatkian : Geome/rj,
and Mi(/fCf if they do not teach us to maAer our Hopes
and Fears, all the reft is to little Purpofe« What does ic
concern us, which was the elder of the two. Homer or
Hefipd i or which was the taller, Htien^ or Hecuba ?
We take a deal of Pains to trace Ulyjfes in' his Wander-
ings : But were it not Time as well fpeot, to look to
ourfelves that we may not wander at all ? Are not we
burfelves toiTed with tempeduous Pailions ; acid both
aJfauUed by terrible Monjiers on the one Hand, and
temptedhy Sirens on the other ? Teach me my Duty to
my Country, to ray Father, to my Wife, to Mankind.
What is it to me, whether Penelope was honefi ax no I
Teach me to know how to be fo myfelf^ and to live ac-
cording to that Knowledge. What am I the better for
putting (b many Parts together in Muficy and raiflng an
Harmony out of fo many different Tones? Teach me td
tune my AiTeftions, and to hold conftant to myfelf. Gr^
«r^/ry teaches me the Art of meafuring Acres 'y teach me
to meafure my AppetiteSy and to knoN^ when I have e-
tiough: Teach me to divide with my Brother, and to
rejoice in the Profperity of my Neighbour. You teach
me how I may hold my own, and keep my Eflate; but I
would rather learn how 1 may lofe it all, and yet be
contented. // // hardy you will fay, for a Man to before
<edfrom the Fortune of his Family, This Eftate. it is true,
was my Father^ ; but, Whofe was it in the Time of my
Great Grand Father ? \ do not only fay. What Mams
was it? but. What Nation % ? The AJirologer tells me of
Saturn and Mars in Oppojitiony but I fay, let them be
as they will, their Courfes and their Pofitions are order-
ed them by an unchangeable Decree of Fate, Either
they produce, and point out the EfFeds of all Things, or
elfe they fjgnify them : If the former ; What are we the

Chap. IV. Of A H A P- P Y L I F E. gg

better for the Knowledge of that which mail of Nccef-
fity come to pafs ? If the latter. What docs it avail us,
to forefec what we cannot avoid ? So that whether wp
know or not know, the Event will ftill be the fame.

He thatdefigns the Inftitutton of human Life l^ould
not • be over-curious of his Words ; it # j^ .^ ^^ y^^
does not (land with his Dignity to be figDi^jf/^f^
folicitous about Sounds and Syllables, and pkilfotbtr t9
to debafc the Mind of Man with fmall , • i ^
and trivial things ; placing Wifdom in ^^^^^ -
Matters that are rather difficult than great.
If he be eloquenty il is his good Fortuney not his Bufine/s*
Subtile Difputations are only the Sport of Wits, that
play upon the Catch 5 and are fitter to be contemned,
than refolved. Were not I a Madman to fit wrangling
about Words, and putting of nice and impertinent
Qoedions, when the Enemy has already made the
Breach, the Town' 6rcd over my Head, and the Mjne
ready to play thjt fliall blow me up into the Air ?- Were
this a time for Fooleries ? Let me rather fortify myfelf
agathft Death, and inevitable Neceflit'es-; let me un-
derlland that the Good of Life diotr not confift in the
Length or Space, but in the Ufc of it. When I go to
Jleep, who knows whether ever I fliall wake again ? And
when I wakct whether ever I fliall Jleep again ? When
I go abroad, whether ever I fliall come hoffte again ? and
when I return, whether ever i fliall go abroud again :
It is not at Sea only, that Life and Death are within a
few Inches of one another ; but they are as near every
w|iere elfe too, only we do not take To much Notice of
it. What have we to do wjth frivolous and captious
Queflions, and impertinent Niceties f Let us rather
fludy how to deliver ourfelves from Sadnefs, Fear, and
the Burden of our fectet Lulls : Lot us pafs over alt
our mod folemn Levities, and makcihafte to a good Life,
which is a thing that prefies us. Shall a Man that goes
■ for a Midwife, ftand gaping upon a poft, to ietWhat
Piay U'day f or wh^n his Houfe is on fire, flay the
curling of a Periwig before he calls for Help? Our
Houfes are on Fire, our Country invaded, our Goods
taken away, our Children in Danger, and I might add
to thefc the Calamities of fiarthi^akes. Shipwrecks, and

95 SENECA Chap.V.

whatever elfc la xnoft terrible. Is this a time for us
now to be playing fail and loofe with idle Queftions*
which are,' in effe^l, but (b many unproiitable Riddles ?
Oar Duty is, the Cure of the Mind» rather than the
Delight of it ; but we have only the Words of Wifdom,
without the Works ; and turn Philolbphy into a Pleafure,
that was given for a |lemedy. What can be more ri-
dicaious than for a Man to negleQ his Manners^ and com-t
fefi his Style ? We are iick and ulcerous^ and muft be
lanced and (carifyed, and every Man has as much Buii-
nefs within himfelf, as a Phyficiah in a common Pefti-
lence. Mi sfir tunes ^ in fine, cannot be avoided: but they
may be /nveetned^ if not pverceme : and our U-ves may be
made happy by Philo/opby,

C H A P. V.

The Force of Precepts.

THERE feems to be fb near an Affinity betwixt
IVifdomi, Phihfophy^ and good Counfels, that it is
rather Matter of Curiofity, than of Profit, to divide
them ; Philofophy being only a limited Wifdom ; and
good Counfeist a Communication of that Wifdom^ for the
Good of other St as well as of ourfehves ; and to FofierU
ty^ as well as to t\vdPrefent. The Wifdom of the An^
€ientst as to the Government of Life, was no more than
certain Precepts what to do, and what not ; and Men
were much better in that Simplicity ; for as they came
to be more learnedy they grew lefs careful of being good*
That plain and open Virtue^ is now turned into a dark^
and intricate Science ; and we are taught to difpute^
rather than to li*ve. So long as Wickednefs was fimp]e»
fimple Remedies alfo were fufficient; againft it ; but
now it has taken Root, and fpread> we mull make uie
oflironger.

There are fome Difpofitions that embrace good

mcru t a f- Things as • foon as they hear them ; but

the bfp 0/ us ^, ^jjj ^m ^^j quickening by Admo-

areyet the bet • ^j^/^^ ^^^ p^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^

terfor Admo^ iox^^xA in fome Cafes, and- dull ia
mtionandtre^ others: And there is no repreffirtg of
^'^'' the one Humour, or raifmg of t'.\e

Chap. V. Of A H A P P y L IF £• gr

other, b«t by removing the Caafe's of them ; which are
(in one Word) fa' ft Admimftrationy ^.n^falfe Fear. Every
Man knows his Duty to his Country, to his Friends^
to his Guefts ; and yet when he is called upon to draw "
his Sword for the one, or to labour for the other* he
finds himfelf diftra£^ed betwixt his Apprehenfions* and
his Delights : He knows well enough the Injurv he does
his Wife, in the keeping a Wench ; and yet his Luft over-
rules him : So that it is not enough to give good Advice,
unlefs we can take away that which hinders the Benefit
of it. If a Man does what he ought to do, he will never
do it confiantly, or equally, without knowing why he
does it. And^ if it be only Chance or Cuftom, he that
does well by Chance, may do ill fo too. And farther, ar
Precept may dired us what we ought to do, and yet fall
fiiort in the Manner of doing it. An expenfive Entertain-*
ment may, in one Cafe, be Extravagance or Gluttony ;
and yet a Point of Honour and Dilcretion in another.
Tiberius Ca/ar bad a large Mullet prefented him, which
he (ent to the Marlcet to be fold : jfnd nonv (fays he) ffty
Mafters (to fome Company with him) youjhall/eey that
either Apricius or Odavius, <wiil be the Chapman for tbit
Fifh : OSamius beat the Price, and gave about 30 /. Ster-
ling for it. Now there was a great Difference between
O^avius, that bought it for his Luxury, and the other
that purchafed it for a Compliment to Tiberius. Precepts
are idle, if we be not firil taught what Opinion we are
.to have of the Matter in Queftion ; whether it be Pover^
ty^ Riches , Difgrace^ Sickne/s, Eanijhmenty Sec. Let us
therefore examine them one by one ; not what they are
called^ but what in Truth they are. And fd for the Vir»
tues : It is to no Purpofe to fet a high Eileem upon Prif
dence. Fortitude^ Temperance^ Jt^ftice ; if we do not firft
know what Virtue is : whether one or rnvrei or if he that
has one^ has ail ; or honu they dffer.

Precepts are of great Weight; and a few * ufeful
ones at band, do more toward a happy Life, mq-t p
than whole Volumes of Cautions, that we ^ J ^^^''
know not where to find. Thcfc folitaryPre- ''^^^^^^ 'e^
cepts fhoqld be our daUy Meditation, for^" en ences,*
they are the Rules by which we ought to fquafe our Lives.

F

9» & B K B C A ChajkT.

When they are 09ntraQed iteto Sntenat, they ikdke the
Aft^om ; whereas AdmmdtiM 13 oaiv bknutng ^f ti»
doiU ; it onovcft the Vigour of the Mindi and excaes Vir««
me : We have thcThiog alrcadv^ b«t we know not wbeie
k lic8# It it hy PrecepCB that the Uoderflanding is noo*
fiflicdy and aunnented ; the Qffitet of Prudence and cf of«
ti^ aie guided by them, and they lead us to the Execu-
ihfk of our Duties* A Pr$ctfi ddivered in Vtrf^ has a
nittch greater EStd^ than in Br^fi\ and thoievery People
mt never think they have enoogh, kt them but hear a
fliarp Sentence againd A'vsria ; how will they dap and
•({tnire it, and bid open Defiance to Monev ? So ibon as
we find the AffefHons Uruck, we ipcift fsllow the Blow :
.■ot with Sylktifmi^ or Qairks ofWU ; bat with plain and
nviighty Rujin : and we rauft do it with Kituhu/s coo,
nod RtfpeS : for, thin goa a Bl^mg along tvirh C«ar«-
/elt^ and Diftomr/es that af$ bent whfi/fy upon the Gond of
the Hearer : And thole are fiill the moft efficacions, that
take Reafon along with th^m ; and tell us jjis well ^vohy
we are to do this or that, as wohat wt are to do. F<n^,
foiae Underftandings are weak, and need an InfiKidor «o
expound to them what is good, and what is evil. It is »
gKat Virtue to Itwe^ t9gi've^ and 10 follt'w §Mt Counfeli
if it does not lead os to HoneHy, it does at leaft prompt
us to it. As feveral Parts make up but one Hannony^
and the mod agreeable Mufic ari&s from Dticords ; fi>
Ihould a wife Man gather many A^s, many Precepts,
and the Examples of many Arts, to infisi'm his own L%.
Qur Forefathers have left us in Charge to itvoid three
Things ; Hatred^ Enfvy^ and Ceniempt : now.it is hard to
avoid Eniyf Und not to incur Contempt ; for, in taking coo>
much Care not to ufurp upon othera, we become many
Times liable to be trampled ,upont>urre1ves. Some Peo>
pie are afraid of others, becaufe it is pofitble that others
may be afraid of them : but let us fccureourfelves on all
Hands : For FiaUery is as dangerous as Contempt. It is
not to fay, in cafe of Admonition ^ I know this before V
For, wis know many Things, but we do not think of
them ; fo that it is the Part of a Monitor, not fo much to-
teach^ at to mind us of our Duties. Sometimes a Man
everfees that which lies juil under his Nofe; otherwhile
he is carelefs, or pretends not to fee it : We do all know»

Cfcap,V. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 99

that Friendfhip is facred* z^d yi!t we violate it ; and
the greateft Labertine cxpeds that his oivo Wife ihould
be honei^. .

GOOP ^Coun/el is the ipoft needful Service that we can
dp to Maokind, and if we give it to numjff « GoniCduiifil
it will be fare to profit>/»f ; For, of many .. ^» t^- «f^
Trials, fom^e or other will undoubtedly "!^ ZZl
fucceed. He that places a Man in tber^'^^^"^^
Pofleffion of himfelf, docs a.great Thing ; '* ^^«^*^-
for Wifdom does not flicw itfelf ib muoi in Procfnt, a#
in Life ; in a Finnnels of Mind. ai;id a Mafterv ot Ad-
petite: It teaches us to 4lo^ as well as to/4/i ; and to malcQ
our Words and Actions all of a Colour. If that Fruit be
pleaianteft which we gather from a Tree of our owa
planting. How much greater Delieht ihail we take ill
the Growth and Increaie of good Manners of our own
forming ? It is an eminent Mark of Wifdom for a Man
to be always like himfelf. You (hall have fome that
keep a thrifty Table, and laviih oat upon Building ; pro-*
fule upon themfelves, and fordid to others ; niggardly
at home, and laviih abroad. This Dlverfity is vicious^
and the £fFe£i of a diiTatisEed, and uneafy Mind i where-
as every wife Man lives by Rule. This Dlfagreeroent of
*lWpo(es, aiifesfrom hence, either that we do not propound
to ourfelves what we would be at : or if we do, thgt we
do not purfue it, but pafs from one Thing to another :
and we do not only ihann neither, but return to the
ve^ Thing which we had both quitted, and condemned*
In all our * Undertakings, let us firft examine our
own Strength ; the Enterpnze next ; and ^ q-, p .
thirdly, the Perfons with whom we have ^ ^f'^^ ^^'r'
to do. The firft Point is moft imporunt ; f* ^^^'^^^^^^
for, we are apt to over-value oorfelves, '? ^ ^"^
and reckon that we can do more indeed ^'^'^*'^^''
dian we can* One Man fets up for a Speaker, and is
out as foon as he opens his Mouth ; another over-chargea
his Eftate perhaps, or his Body : A bafhful Man is not
£t for puUic Buiinefs : Some again are too flifF, and pe-
remptory for the Court : Many People are apt to fly out
in their Anger i nay, and in a Frolic too, if any Thing
Iharp fall in their Way, they will rather venture a Neck»
Chan lofe a Jeft. Thefe People had better be quiet in

F a

100 SENECA Chap.V.

the World than bufy. Let him that is naturally chole-
ric, and impatient, avoid all Provocations, and thofe
Af&irs alfo that multiply and draw on more ; and thofe
aKo from which there is no Retreat. When we may.
come off at Pleafure, and fairly hope to bring our Mat-
ters to a Period, it is well enough. If it fo happen that
a Man be tied up to Bufinels, which he can neither
loofen or break offi let him imagine thofe Shackles upon '
his Mind to be Irons upon his Legs : Hiey are trouble-
fome at firil, but when there is no Remedy but Patience*
Cuftom makes them eafy to us, and Neceflity gives us
Courage. We are all Slaves to Fortune ; fome only in
loofe and golden Chains, others in firait ones, and coar-
fer : Nay, and they that bind us, are Sla-ves to tbem/el<ves ;
Ibme to Honour, others to Wealth ; fome to Offices,
others to Contempt ; fome to their Superiors, others to
themfelves : Nay, Life itfelf is a Servitude : Let us make
the bed of it then, and with our Philofophy mend our
Fortune. Difficulties may be fofcened, and heavy Bur-
dens difpofed of to our Eafe. Let us covet nothing out of
our Reach, but content ourfelves with Things hopeful,
and at hand ; and without envying the Advantages of
others: For Greatrtefs Hands upon a craggy Precipice ; ^
and it is much fafer and quieter living upon a LeveL
How many great Men are forced to keep their Station
upon mere Neceflity ; becaufe they find there is no com-
ing down from it but headlong ? '1 hefe Men fhould do
well to fortify themfelves again ft ill Confequcnces, by
fuch Virtues and Meditations, as may make them lefs
folicitous for the future. The furefl Expedient in this
Cafe is to bound our Defires, and to' leave nothing to
Fortune which we may keep in our own Power. Neither
will this Courfe wholly compofe us, but it (hews us at
word tile End of our Troubles.

It is a main Point to take Care that we propofe f
nothing hut what is hopeful and honefl. j. p * /
For it will be equally troublefome to ws, L . ^'^V^ "V
either not to fucceed, or to be afhamed . '^ . ^V' ,
of the Succefs. Wherefore, let us be V^^^ "^
fure not to admit any ill Defign into our *^'
Heart ; that we may lift up pure Hands* to Heaven, and
aft: nothing which another (hall be a Lofer by. . Let us

Chap.V, Of A HAPPY LIFE. loi

pray for a good Miod, which is.a Wifh to no Man*s In-
jury. I will remember always that I am a Man, and
then coniider, that if £ am happy ^ it will not lail always ;
if unhappy y I may be other^ if I pleafe. I will carry my
Life in my Hand, and deliver it up readily when it (hall
be called for. f will have a Care of being a Slave to
myielfy for it is a perpetual* a (hameful, and the heavi«
ell, of all Servitudes ; and, this may be done by mode-
rate De fires. I will fay to myfelf, ff^hat is it that I Ja^
lour, Jhveatf and /elicit for ^ ijohen it is hut very little thai
1 ivant, and it ivill not he kng that I Jhail need avf
Thing? He that would make Trial of the Flrmnefs of
his Mind, let him fet certain Days apart for the Pradice
of his Virtues. Let him mortify himfelf with Fading,
coarfe Cloaths, and hard Lodging; and then fay to
himfelf Is this th$ Thing now tha( I nvas afraid of?
In a State of Security a Man may thus prepare himfelf
agamfl Hazards, and in Plenty fortify himfelf againd
Want. If you will have a Man refolute when he comes
to the Pu(h, train him up to it before»hand. The Sol-
dier does Duty in Peace, that he may be in Breath when
he comes to Battle, How many great and wife Men
have made Experiment of their Moderation by a Practice
of Abftinence, to the higheft Degree of Hunger and
TbirH; ; and convinced themftlves, that a Man may fill
his Belly, without being beholden to Forrune; which
never denies any of us wherewith to faiisfy our Neceffi-
ties, though (he be never fo angry ? It is as eafy iofuf"
fer it alnuaysy as to try it 6nc€\ and it is no more than
thoufands of Servants and poor People do every Day of
their Lives. He that would live happily, muft neither
truft to good Fortune, nor fubmit to bad : He moft ftand
upon his Guard againfl all AiTaults : He mud flick to
himfelf, without any Dependence bpon other People.
Where the Mind is tindlured withThilofbphy, there is
no Place for Grief, Anxiety, or fuperfluous* Vexations,
It is prepoflcfled with Virtue, to the Neglect of Fortune,
which brings us to a Degree of Security not to be diilurb*
ed. It is eaiier to give Counf^l than to take it ; and a
common Thing for one choleric Man to condemn ano-
ther. We may be fometimes earned in advifing, but not
violeot, or tedious. Few Words wiiH Gentlenefs and

ibz S E N E t A Cfep. V.

Efficacy are bcft : The Mifcry is, that the Wife do not
need Counfd, and Foola will not take it. A good Man,
it is true, delights in it : and it is a Mark of Polly and ill
Nature, to hate Reproof. To a Friend I would be al-
ways frank and plain ; and rather fail in the Succefs,
than be wanting in the Matter of Faith atad Truft. There
are fbme Precepts that ferve in common, both to tho
Kich and Poor, but they are too general ; as Cure ycur
Jf<i/aricey and tie fFtrk is done. It is one Thing not ta de-
£re Money, and another Thing not to underfUnd how to
vfe it. Is the Choice 6f the Perfons we have to do
withal, we ihould fee that they be worth our while; vx
the Choice of our Bufioefs we are to confult Nature, and
follow our Inclinations. He that gives (bber Advice to
a witty Droll, mufl look to have every Thing turned into
/Ridicule. Js i/jQU Pbile/opbirs (fays M'atcetiinus) aid
not ionft your IVhonSf and ytfur Guts, as *we// as .ctber
Ft9fk\ and then he telis you of fuch and fuch that were
Hken in die Manner. We ate all fick« I maft confe6,
mnd it is not for fick Men to pky the P'hyfician ; but it la
yet lawfiil for a Man is an Hofpital to diibourle of ttyt
common Condition, and Diftempers of the Place. He
>hat fbould pretend to teach a Madman hxsw to ipeak»
walk, and behave himfdf, were not lie thte madder Main
of the two; he that diredls the Pilot, makes hitn move
the Helm, order the Sails fb or fo, and make the befl of
a fcant Wind, after this or th^t Manner.' And {o Ihould
we do in our Counfels. Do not tell me what a Man
ihould do in Health, or Poverty ; but fliew me the Way
to be either found or rich. Teach me to mader my
Vices : For, it is to no Purpofe, fb long as I am under
their Government, to tdl me what I muft do when I am
dear of it. In cafe of an Avarice a little eafed, a Luxu-
Ty moderated, a Temerity relh^ined, a flqggifli Humour
quickened; Precepts will then help us forward, and
tutor as how to behave ourfelves. It is the firft and the
main tie cfa Soldier, his military Oath, which is an En-
gagement upon him both of Religion and Honour. Iti
like Manner he that pretends to a happy Life, muft firll
lay a Foundation of Virtue, as a Bond upon him, to live
and die tmte to that Caufe. We do not find Felicity in
the Veins of die Earthy where we dig for Gold : Dor in

r

Chap. VI. Of A HAPty LIFE. 103

■

the Bottom of the Sea, where we fi(h for Pearl ; but in
a pure and untainted Mind, which, if it were not holy,
were not (it to entertain the Deity. He that *w9uld he
truly hafpy^ mufl think hii oijon Lot hefty and Jo H^ve nvitb
Men, as eonfidering tbeU Gedfeis km, and fo /peak to God^
its if Min'iiard him*

CHAP. VL
No Felicity Uk$ Ftuci if Confcience.

A GOOD Con/crenct is the Ttftifmnj of a good Life^
and the Reward ofH. This is it that fortifies the
Mind againft Fortane, when a Man has gotten the Ma«
ftety of his Paflions ; placed his Treafare and his Secu-
rity within himfelf ; learned to be content with his Con-
dition ; and that Death is no Evil in itfelf, but only the
End of Man. He that has dedicated his Mind to Virttxe,
and to the Good of human Society, wiiereof he is a Mem*
ber» has confomniated all that is either profitable or ne-
ceflary for hhn to know, or to do, toward ilie EfUblifii-
tnent of liis Pesice. Every Man has a Judge and Wit-
li^& Within him&lf, of all the Good and 111 that he does ;
which \n^rt» us with great HioughtSy and adminiilers
to us wh(^e(bine Cownfds. We have a Veneration for
9II the Works of Na'urc, the Heflds of Rivers, and the
Spring of medicinal Waters : the Horrors of Groves, and
of Caves, ftrike us with an Imprefiion of Religion and
Worihip. To fee a Man fearlefs in Dangers, untainted
with Lufts, happy in Adverfity, composed in a Tumolr,
and laughing at thofe Things which are geaerally either
coveted or feared ; all Men mud acknowledge, that
tbis can be nothing elfe but a Beam of Divmity that
influences a mortal Body. And this it is that carries
lis to the Di(qtnfitioa of Thisgs drvine and Ifumafl ;
what the State of the World was before the DiHribu-
tion of the firft Matter inio Pans ; w%at Power it was
l!hat drew Order out'<}f that Confulion, and gave Laws
both to the whole, and to etery Particle «theKof ; what
that 8paoe is beyond the World ; and whence proceed
«lie maral Operations of Nature. Shall any Mao fe^

i©4 SENECA. Chap.Vf.

the Glory and Order of the Univerfe ; fo many fcattered
Parts and Qualities wrought into one Mafs ; fuch a
J^edley of Things, which are yet diftinguifhcd ; the
World enlightenedy and the Diforders of it fo wonder-
fully regulated ; and (hall he not confider the Author,
and Difpofer of all this ; and, whither we ourfelves
fhall go, when our Souls ihall be delivered from the
Slavery of our Flpfh ? The whole Creation, we fee,
conforms to the Dilates of Providence, and follows God
both as a Governor and as a Guide. A great, a good,
and a right Mind, is a kind of Divinity lodged in Flefh,
and may be the Bleiling of a Slave, as well as of a Prince ;
it came from Heaven, and to Heaven it muft return ;
and it is a kind of heavenly Felicity, which a pure and
virtuous Mind enjoys, in ibme Degree, even upon Earth :

. Whereas Temples of Honour are but empty Name^,
which probably owe their Beginning either to Ambi-
tion, or to Violence I am ftrangely tranfported with
the Thoughts of Eternity ; nay, with the Belief of it ;
for I have a profound Veneration for the Opinions of
great Men, especially wh^n they promife Things fo muvh
to my Satisfadtion : for they do promife them, .though

. they do not^ prove them. In the QuefUon of the lm»
mortality of the Soul, it goes very far with me, a gene-
ral Confent to the Opinion of a future Reward and Pu-
nifhment ; which Meditation raises me to the Contempt
of this Life, in Hopes of a better. But, dill, though
we know that we have a Soul ; yet, what the Soul is,
how, and from whence, we are utterly ignorant : This
.only we underiland, that all the Good and 111 we do, is
under the Dominion of the Mind ; that a clear Confd-
ence flates us in an inviolable Peace : And, that the
greateft Bleiling in Nature, is that, which tvcry honed
Man may bed jw upon him (elf The Body is but the
Clog and Prifoner of the Mind ; tofTed up and down,
and perfecated with Puniihments, Violences, and Dif-

. eafes ; bat the Mind-itfelf is facred, and eternal, and

exempt from the Danger of a^ual ImpreOion.

* Provided that we look to our Confciences, no

« p njf • Matter for Opinion : Let me deferve
Every Mans ^^j,^ ^^^^^^ ^ ^^^ .jj ^^^ common

Con/ctence rs pg^pig ^^^ Stomach, and Audacity, fyr
hi f Judge. jjj^ j^^^i^j^ ^f Magnanimity, and Ho-

f

Cliap.VI. Of A HA PPy LIFE. 105

Qoar ; and, if a Man be ibft, and modefly they look
^opon him as an eafy Fop : but when they come once to
obierve the Dignity of his Mind, in the Equality and
Fi^mneis of his Actions; and that his external Quiet
h founded upon internal Peace, the very fame People
have him in Efte^m and Admiration. For, there is no
Man but approves of Virtue, though but few purfue it;
we fee where it is, but we dare not venture to come at
it : And the Reaibn is, we overvalue that which we
' mail quit to obtain it. A good Confcience fears no Wit-
' nefles, but a guilty Confcience is fblicitous even in Soli-
tude. If we da. nothing but what is honefl, let all the

• World know it ; but if otherwife, what docs it fignify to
have no Body elfe know it, fb long as I know it my-
(elf? Miferable is he that flights that Witnefs ! Wick-
ednefs, it is true, may efcape the Law, but not the Con-

• icience : For a private Conviftion is the firft, and the
grcateft Punifhment of Offenders ; fo that the Sin
plagues itfelf; and the Fear of Vengeance purfues even
thofe that efcape the Stroke of it. It were ill for good

' Men that Iniquity may fo eafily evade Law, the Judge,
and the Execution, if Nature had not fet up Torments

'and Gibbets, in the Confcicnces of Tranfgreflbrs. He
that is guilty, lives in perpetual Terrors, and while he
expe6ls to be puniihed, he punifties himfelf ; and whofo-
ever deferves it, expedls it. What if he be not deiefled ?
He is dill in Apprehenfion yet, that he may be {o»
His Sleeps are painfli), and never fecure ; and he cannot

'fpeak of another Man*s Wickednefs, without thinking of
his own; whereas a good Confcience is a continual
Feafl. Thofe are the only certain, and profitable De-

-ligh s, which arife from the Confcience of a welladled
Life : no matter for Noife abroad, fo long as we are

' quiet within : but if our PaiTions be feditious, that is
enough to keep us waking, without any other Tumuk-

'It is not the Fcfture of the Body, or theCompofure of

• the Bed, that will give Reft to an uneafy Mind : There
' Is an impatient Sloth, that may be roixzed by A6\ion, and
. the Vices of Lazinefs muft be cured by Bufinef^. True

Happinefs is not to be found in Excefles of Wine,

• or of Wopen, nor in the largeft Prodigalities of Fortune ;
yfhxi fhe has given me, fhe may take away j bufr Qu^

F 5

td6 SENECA -Chip.Vf<

ihall not tear it from me ; and« (b long as it does not
grow to roe, I can part with it without Pain. He that
wodd pcrfedly know himfefC let him fet afide hisAAo-
.aev» his Foniuie»^ his Dimity, and examine htmftlf
naLed • without being pot to'kam from others the Know-
le<^e of himfelf.

It is dangerous for aldan too fuddenly or too eafily
1^ » to believe liimielf. Wherefore let os *.cx«

%ra g^amin^ amine, watch, obferve, and infpca oar own
i^fif Hearts; for, we ourfclves are our own

wmjeif. grcateft Flatterers : We ihorfd every Night

call ourfelves to an Account, What Infirmity have I ma*
fiered to-day? What Pafftonuppo/ed ? What TemfJat ion re*
filled ? What Virtue acquired? Onr Vices will abate of
themfelves, if they be brought every Day to the Shrift,
Oh the UefTed Sleep that follows fuch a Diary ! Oh the
Tranquillity, Liberty, and Greatnefs of that Mind, that
is a Spy upon itfelf; and a private Cenfor of its own
Manners! It is my Cuftom (iays our Author) every
Night, fo foon as the Candle is out, to rrni over all the
Words and Adtions of the pad Day ; and I let nothing
eicape me ; for. Why ihould I fear the Sight of my own
Errors, when I can admoniih and forgive myfelf ? 1 ^vas
n little too hot in fuch a Dfiute: my Opinion might ha*ve
heen as icell /pared ^ for it gave Offence, emd did no Good
eU all. The Thing was true ; hut all Truths are not to he
ffoken at all Times ; 1 tvould I had held my Tongue, fer
there is no contending either luith Foolsf or our Superior/^
I ha<ce done ill ; hut it Jhall hefono more. If every Man
would but thus look into himfelf, it would be the better
for us all. What can be more reaibnable than tnis daiiy
Review of a Life that we cannot warrant for a Moment?
Our Fate is fet, and the is9i Breath we draw is only the
iirft Motioo toward our laft: One Caofe depends upon f

another ; and the Couxie of all I'hings, public and prt«
vatCy is but a long Connedlion of providential Appoint
ments. There is.a great Variety in our Lives, but idl
tends to the fame IfTue. "Nature may uie her own Bo«
dies as ihe.pleafes; but a good Man has this Confola-
tion, that nothing periflies which he can call his own. It
is a great Comfort that we are only condemned t9 the
iameJFate with theUniverfe; the Heavens themielvia

Cfc«p. Vtf. Cf A HA*py LI IF.

are mort^ 9s weh as tmr Macs ; NflUire hffs Aiade as
palBve, and to foffet is cur Lot. While we are in the
Fiefh, every ii/lzn has hb Chain and his Clog> and it Is
loofer and lighter to one Man than another ; on^y ht k
more at eafb that takes it up, and carries it, iSmn he that
drags it. We are bom to Me, and to.|)erifli ; to hope
and to fear, to vex oarielves and oHiers ; and there ia
no .Antidote agatnft a common CalaBitty, bet Vi#tae, for
fll^e Fgunifatim rftrui J^y is in iht Onjciiftcf.

CHAP. vn.

jfgo^d Man cun nevir be mifiraUe^ nor a wickid

Man bafff.

TH £ R E is not in the Scale of Nature a more infe>
parable Conne^on of Caufe and EffeCl, ihan ia
the Cafe of Happinefs and Virtae: Nor any Thing that
can m'}re naturally produce the one, or more nece£arily
prefuppofes the other. For, what is it to be happy, but
for a Man to content hirofelf with his Lot, in a chearful.
and quiet ^eiignation to the Appointments of God ? All
the A6lions of our Lives ought to be governed with a
Refped to Good and Evil : And it is only reafon that
diHinguiflies : by which Reafon we are in fnch a manner
influenced, as if a Ray of the Divinity were dipt in a mor-
tal*Body ; and that is ihe Perfe6Uon of Mankind. It is
true, we have not the Eye of Eagles, or the Sagacity of
Hounds ; nor if we had could we pretend to value our*
lelves upon any Thii\g which we have in common with
Brutes. What are we the better for that which is foreign
to us, and may be given and taken away ? As the Beams
of the Sun irradiate the Earth, and yet remain where they
were ; ib is it in fome Proportion with an holy Mind, that
illuflrates all our Adions, and yet adheres to its Original.
Why do we not as well commend a Horfe for his glorious
Trappings, as a Man for his pompous Additions ? How
much a braver Creature is a Lion (which by Nature
ought to be fierce and terrible) how much braver (I (ay)
IB his natural Horror^ than in his Chains I So that every

F6

io8 S; E . NF E C . A Chap. Vlfc

Thine: in its pore Nature pleafes us beft. It is not Healthy
Nobility* Riches* that can joftify a wicked Man; norl^
it the Want of all thefe that can difcredit a good one*
That is the fovereign Bleffing* which makes the PofFef*
for of it valuably without aoyThing elfe, and him that
wants it contemptible, thoogh he had all the World be-
iides. It is not the Painting, Gilding* or Carving* that
iQakes a good Ship : but if ihe be a nimble Sailor* tight
and ftrong, to endure the Seas* that b her ExceUency.
It is the Edge and Temper of the Blade* that makes a
ffood Sword ; not the Richnefs of the Scabbard; andj^
It is not Money, or PofTeflions* that make a Man confider-
able* but his Virtue. . * ^

• It is every Man's Duty to make himfelf profitable
^ M i-hjr I to Mankind : \l he can* to many ;
•A good Man makes j^^^^^ to fewer : If not {^ neither, to
himfelf profitabU to ^j^ Neighbours; but however to
Mankind. himfelf. There are two Republics^

a great one, which is human Nature ; and a lefs, which
is the Place where we were born : Some ferve both a|
a Time ; feme only the greater, and ibme again only
the lefs : The greater may befervedin Privacy, Soli-
tude, Contemplation, and perchance that way better
than any other ; but it was the Intent of Nature, how-
ever, that we fhould ferve both. A good Man may ferve
the Public, his Friend, and himfelf in any Station ; if
he be not for the Sword, let him take the GovVn ; if the
Bar does not agree with him, let him try the Pulpit ; if
• he be filenced abroad, let him give Counfel at home;
and difcharge the part of a faithful Friend, and a tempe-
rate Companion. When he is no longer a Citizen, he is
yet a Man ; but the whole World is his Country, and
liuman Nature never wants Matter to woik upon : But*
if nothing will {txs^ a Man in the civil Go*vernment,unr'
lefs he be prime Miniver ; or in the Field, but to com~
mand in chiefs it is his own Fault. The common Sol-
dier, where he cannot ufe his Hands, fights with his
Looks, his Example, his Encouragement, his Voice;
and (lands his Ground even when he has Io(l his Hands ;
and does Service too with his very Clamour: fo that ia
any Cond tion whatlbever, he:ftill difcharges the Duty
of a good Patriot. Nay, he that fpcnds his Time welt

C?l»p. VU. Of. A H 4 ?'f Y LJ F E. 109

eves in a Rediement, gives a great Example. We may
enlarge indeed, or contrafl, according to the Circum-
fiances of Time, Place, or Alnlitiesy but above ail tbing^
we moil be fare to keep ourfelves la A£kion ; for, he
that is flothfu], is dead even while he lives. Was there
ever any State fo defperate, as that of Athens under the
thirty Tyrants ; where it was capital to be honed; and
the Senate- Houfe was turned into a College of Hang-
men ? Never was afty Governmenjt fb wretched, and 10
hopelefs : and yet Socrates at the (ame Time preached
temperance to the 7yrantiy and Courage to the Reft :
and afterwards died an eminent Example of Faith and
Refblution, and a Sacrifice for the common Good.

It is not for 'a wife Man to ftand • fhifting and fen-
cing with Fortune, but to oppoie her m tl j - •
bare faced ; for he is fufficiently con- ^ J ^'^ J
vinced, that fhe can do him no Hurt. ^ ^^gT /A-
She may take away his Servants, PofTcf- ^. ^'
lions. Dignity; afluult his Body, put out '" *
his Eyes, cut off his Hands, and ftrip him of all the
external Comforts, of Life. But what does all this
amount to, more than the recalling of a Truft, which he
has received, with Condition to deliver it up again
upon Demand? He looks upon himfelf as precarious^
and only lent" to himfelf, and y^t he does sot valuis
himfelf ever the lefs, becaufe he is not his own, bat
takes fuch care as an hone I Man (hould do, of a Thing
that is committed to him in Trull. Whenfoever he that
lent me myfelf, and what I have, (hall call for all back
again, it is not a Lo{s, but a Reftitotion ;. and I muli
willingly deliver up what moit undefervedly was bcftow-
ed upon me. And it will become me to return my Mind
better than I received it.

* DEMETRIUS^ upon the taking of Megara, afked
Stilpo the Philofopher what he had loft .^ # ^ »

Nct/iing, (zy^Yit, for I had all that I could f i'"*^^^^' ^»^
call my o<wn ahout me, ' And yet the Ene.- vTfl5^ V^"^
my had then made himfelf Mafter of his ^''*' ^"'^'
Patrimony, Iiis Children, and his Country : But thefe
he looked upon only as adventitious Goods, and under
the Command of Fortune : Now he that neither loft
any T^ing, nor feared any Thing in a public Riiin,. but

^ I

no SENECA Cbap.Vir,

was iafe and at Peace in the Middle of the Flames,
and in the Heat of a mlliury Intemperance and Fury ;.
what Violende or Prorocation imaginable can put foch
ia Man as diis out of the Poileflion of himfelf ? Walls
and Caf!1es may be mined and battered ; but there is
lio Arty or Engine, that can fubvert a fleady Mind.
/ ba*Vi made my *way (fays Stitpo) through Fire and Bhod*^
nvhat is become of my Children, I kmnu not ; but thffe are
tranfitory Blejffings^ and Servants that are condemned i6
change their Mafters ; fu^hat ot-tfi my otvn beftre^ is n^
rwif fiill : Some ha<ve loft their Eftates ; others their
dear-b^ght Miflrejfes ; their Commiffions and Offices ; the
XJfurtrs have loft the Bonds and Securities \ but^ Demetnus,
for my fart^ 1 have faved all ; and do n^t imagine, after
«// this^ either that Demetrius is a Conqueror^ or that
Scilpo // overcome : it is only thy Fortune has been too hard
for mine, Alexander took Babylon ; Scipio took Car-
thage\ the Capital was burnt : but, there is no Fire,
or Violence that can diiconipofe a generous Mind*
And ]et us not take this Charadler neither for a Chimarai
for all Ages afford fome Inftances of this elevated Virtue,
A good Man does his Duty, let it be never fo painful^
fo hazardous, or never (o great aLofs to him ; and it-
is not all the Money, the rower, and the Pleafure in
the World ; no not any Force, or Neceffity, that can
make him wicked : He confiders what he is to do, not
what he is to fuffer, and will keep on his Courfe,
though there (hould be nothing but Gibbets and Tor-
ments in the way. And in this Inflance of Stilpo ; who,
when he had loft his Country, his Wife, his Children,
the Town on Fire over his Head, himfelf efcaping very
liardly, and naked out of the Flames ; / have farvedall
my Goods, (fay he) my Jufiice^ my Courage^ my Temperan£i^
my Fruaer,ce ; accounting nothing his own, or valuable ;
and (hewing how much eafier it was to overcome a Na-
tion than one wife Man. It is a certain Mark of a brave
Mind, not to be moved by any Accidents. The upp^
Kegion of the Air admits neither Clouds, nor Tempers ;
the Thunder, Storms, and Meteors, are formed below ;
and this is a Difference betwixt a mean, and an exalted
Mind } the former is rude and tumultuary ; the latter it
modeftj venerable^ coBijpoied^ and always quiet in its &ta«

Chap.Vm. Of A HAPf y LIFE, tft

ttoti. In brief, it h the ConilBenoe tbatt pronoonces op*
on clieMan, Whetkcrlie be happy, or miferable. Bat,
though Sacrilege and^ Adultery be genendly condemned^
how many are there fiill that do not fo mudi as bhtfh at
the one, and in tm^, that take a Olory m the other?
For, nothing is more commonthan for great Thieres to
ride in Triumph, when the little ones are mmifhed. But
hgt iVickedne/s e/cape^ as it may, at the Bar^ it nroer
fails of doing Jujiice upon itfilf\ for tuerf guihj ferfm U
his O'von Hangman.

CHAP. VIII.

^he due Contemplation of divine Prm)idenc€ h
the certain Cure of all Misfortunes.

WHOEVER obferves the World, and the Order
of it, will find all the Motions in it to be only
Viciflitude ojf Falling and Rifing: Nothing extingui(hed,
aiid even thofe Things which feem to us to per ifh, are in
troth but changed. The Seafons go, and return ; Day
and Night follow in their Gourfes ; the Heavens roll»
•«nd Nature goes on with her Work. All Things fuccccd
in their Turns ; Storms and Calms ; the Law of Nature
will have it {b> which we mufl follow, and obey, aecoont-*
ing all Things that are done, to be well done : So that
what we cannot mend, we mud TufTer and waic upon Pro-
vidence without repining : It is the Part of a cowardly
Soldier to follow his Commander, groaning; but a gene*
rous Man delivers himfelf up to God without flruggling ;
and it is only for a narrow Mind to condemn theOrder
©f the World ; and to propound rather the mending of
Nature than of himfelf. No Man has anyCaufe of Com«
olaint againd Providence, if that which is right pleafes
him. Thofe Glories that appear fair to the Eye, their
Luftre IS but falfe and fuperficial ; and they only Vanity
and DeluHon : They are rather the Goods of a Dream,
than a fubftantial PpiTeiTion ; tliey may cozen at a Di*
'fiance, but bring them once to the Touch, they are rot«
ten and connt^feit. There are no greater Wretchea^

.sia • - SENECA Chap. VHf^

.in the World, than many of tho(e whkh the People*
take to be happy ; thofe are the only true and incorrup-
tible Comforts, that will abide all Trials ; and the mote
vwe turn and examine ^em, the more valuable we iind
them ; and the greatefl Felicity of all is, not to Hand in

.need of any. What is Poverty f No Man lives fo poor

• as he was born. What is Pain ? It will either have an
end itfelf, or make an end of us. In fhort, Fdrtune has
no Weapon that reaches the Mind: But the Bounties of
Providence are certain and permanent BleHings; and
they are the greater, and the better, the longer we con-
iider them : That is to fay, The Power of contemning
7Hngstirrib'ey and d^/;ijing*wbat the common People ccvet.
In the very Methods of Nature, we cannot but obferve
the Regard that Providence had to the Good of Man-
kind, even in the Difpofition of the World, in providing

. fo amply for our Maintenance and Satisfaction • It is
not pcfliDle for us to comprehend what the Power is,
which has made all Things. Some few Sparks of that
Divinity are difcovered, but infinitely the greaterPart of
it lies hid. We are all of us however thus far agreed;
firft in the Acknowledgment and Belief of that Almigh-
ty Being ; and, fecondly, that we are to afcribe to it all
Majefty, and Goodnefs.

If the* e be a Providence ^ (ay fome, Hoiu comes it f^

id in ^^'J/^^;f. My Anfv^er is, that God deals by us,
and fwuked Men ^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ j^j^ Children ;
pr^J^err j^^ ^^-^^^ ^^^ j^^ hardens us, and fi^ts

us for himfclf. He keeps a ftridl Hand over thcfe
that he loves, and by the rell he does as we do hy
our Slaves ; he lets them go on in Licence and
Boldnefs. As the Mafttr gives his moil hopeful Scho-
lars the hardcft LeiTons, fo does God deal with the. moft
generous Spirits ; and the crofs Encotmters of Fortune,
we. are not to look upon as a Cruelty, but as a Contefi :
The Familiarity of Dangers brings us to the Contempt
of them, and that Part is ftrongeft which is moft exer-
* cifed { the Seaman's Hand is callous, the Soldier's hrxxk
is ftrongs and the Tree that is moft expofed to thft

**

r

Chap.VlIf. Of A HAPPY LIFE. uj

.Wind takes the bell Root : There are People that live
in a pefpetual Winter, in Extremity of Froll and Penu*
Ty, where a Cave, or Lock of Straw, or a few Leaves
is all their Covering, and wild Beads their Nouri(hment»
AH this by Cuftom is not only made tolerable, but when
once it is taken up upon NecefHty, by little and little it
becomes pleafant to them. Why ihould we than count
that Condition of Life a Calamity, which is the Lot of
many Nations ? There is no State of Life fo miferable,
but there are in it Remiilions, Diver(ions ; nay, and De^
lights too ; fuch is the Benignity of Nature towards us»
even in the fevereft Accidents of human Life. There were
no way of Living, if Adveriity fhould hold on as it be-
gins, and keep up the Fo''ce of the firil Impreifton. We
are apt to murmur at many 'Things as great Evils, that
have nothing at all of Evil in them befide the Complaint*
which we (hould more reafonahly take up agaiailourfelves*
If I be fick, it is Part of my Fate ; and for other Calami^
tiesy they are ufual Things ; they ought to be ; nay*
which is more, they muil be, for they cojne by Divine
Appointoient. So that we (hould not only fubmit to
God, butafTent to him, and obey him out ot Duty, eveft
if there were no Necejfty. All thofe terrible Appearances
that make us groan, and tremble> are bat the Tribute
of Life ; we are neither to wi(h, nor to aOc, nor to hope
to^elcape them ; for it i^ a kmd of Diihonedy to pay, a
.Tribute unwillingly. Am I troubled with the Stone; or
afflidted with continual Lofles ? Nay, is my Body in Dan-
, gcr ? All this is no more than what I prayed for, when
1 prayed for old Age.: All thefe Things areas familiar m
a long Life, as Dud and Dirt in a long Way. Life is U
Warwre ; and what brave Man would not rather chufe
to be in a Tent than in a Shambles ? Fortune does like a
Swordfman, (he fcoms to encounter a fearful Man : There
is no Honour in the Vidlory, where there is no Danger
in the way to it : She tries Mucius by Fire^ Hutilius by
Exile ; Socrafes by Po/afi -, Caio by Death, It is only
in adverfe Fortune, and in bad Times, that we find great
. Examples. Mucim thought himfelf happier with his
Hand in the Flame, than if he had been in the Bofom
of his MiArefs; Fahricius took more Pleafurein eaxingthe
:, Roots of his own planting, than in alt the Delicacies

114 SENECA Chap,VIIF.

of Luxury and Expencc. Shall we cal! Rutikus mifer-
able, whom his very Enemies have adored ? Who upon
fi glorious, and a pab]ick Principle, chofe rather to loie
his Country than to return from Bannhment ? The only
Man that denyed any Thing to Syila the Dilator, who
recalled him. Nor did he only refuie to come, but drew
himfelf farther off : Let thenty fays he, that tkinh Bd^
nijbment a Misfortune^ li've Singes at Rome, under the
Imperial Cruelties of Sylla. He tkat /its a Price mpmt
the Heads of Senators, and after -a Laiv of bis own In^
JHtution againfi CuUihroattf became the great eft himfelf,
h it not better for a Man to live an Exile abroad, than
to be maflacred at home. In fuifering for Virtue, it is
not the Tormentj but the Cauie that we are to confider';
and the more Pain the more Renown. When any Hard-
•ihip befiils us, we moil look upon it as an A£t of Provi-
dence, which many Times fofiers Particulars to be wound*
led for the Coniervation of the whole : Befide that
'God chailifes fome People under an Appearance of Bkf-
ling them, turning their Profperity to their Ruin, as a
FuQiflunent for abufing his Goodnds. And we are far*
thcr to confider, t^t many a good Man is afflicted, only
to teach others to fiifier ; for we are born for Example :
And likewife, that where Men are contumacioas and re*
fraftory, it pleafes God many Times to turn our ]V|i(erie8
to cure greater Evils by lefs, and our Advantage.

How many * Cafnaltfes and Difficulties are there,

« p . . that we dread, as iiifupportable Mi A:hiefs,

rrw/^^ which, upon farther Thoughts, we find to

w v'l ^ Mercies and Benefits? As Banifbment,
•utof iiw/r poy^^y^ Lo(-3 of Relations,: Sickncfs, Dif-

grace ? Some are cured by the Lance ; by Fire, H on ger»
Third ; taking out of Bones » lopping off Limbs, and the
like : Nor do we only fear Things that are many
Times beneficial to us; but on the other fide, we
hanker after, and purfue Things that are deadly and
pernicious* We are poifoned in the very Pleafures
of our Luxury ; and betrayed to a Thoufead Difeafes
by the indulging of our Palate. To lofe a Child, or
a Limb, is only to part with what we have received, and
Natuie may do what fhe pleafes with her own. We are
feni ourfdves^ and we have received Things trai^tory 3

\

Chap. VIII. Of A H A P P Y L I P E. 115

That which is given us, may be taken away ; Calamity
tries Virtue as- the Fire does Gold: Nay, he that livts
xnofl at ea(e, is only decayed, not difmiiled, and his Por.
lion is to come. When we are vifited with Sicknefs, or
other Affli^ions, we are not to murmur as if we were
ill ufed : It is a Mark of* the General's Efleem, when he
put us upon a Pofl of Danger : We do not lay, Mf
Captain ufes me ii/, but, He eioes me an Honour : And (b
fiiould we fay, that are commanded to encounter Diffi-
culties, for this is our cafe with God Almighty.

What was* Regvlus the worfe, becaufe Fortune made
Choice of him for an eminent Inftance, 4 n i 7
both of Faith and Patience? He was .f.r^T'/i' "
thrown into a Cafe of Wood iluck with *^ ^^"^^V rit'^
Dointed Nails ; fo that which way focver *^'
tie turned his Body, it refled upon his Wounds ; his
Eye-lids were cut off, to keep him waking ; and yet
Tdecifnas was not happier upon his Be^t^ than Regultu
"upon his torments, f^iLyt the World is not yet grown
^o wicked, as not to prefer Rtiuks before Miotnas ;
and can any Man take that to he an Evil, of which
Providence accounted this brave Man wordiy ; it has
pUa/ed God (fays he) tofingU me out for an Zxpermunf of
the force of human Nature. No Man knows his own
"Strength or Value, but by being put k) the Proof. The
iPilot is tried in a Storm, the Soldier in a Battle ; the
rich Man knows not how to behave htmfelf in Poverty'i
He ihatiias lived in Popularity and Applauie, knows not
how he would hear Infamy and Reprcnach : Nor he &at
never had Children', how he would bear the Lofs of
them. Calamity is the OccaTion of Virtue* and a Splir
to a great Mind. The very Appreheniion of a Wound
fiartles a Man when he £iil bears Arms; but an old
Soldier bleeds boldly, becaufe he knows that a Man may
lofe Blood, and yet win the Day. Kay, many times ^
Calamity .turns to our Advant^e ; and great Ruins have
made way to great Glories. The Crying out of Fir4^
has many times quieted a Fray, and the InterpoiiDg Of
a wild Beall has parted the Thief and the Travieuer %,
for, we are not atLeifure for kfs Miichiefs, while we
are under the Appreheolions of .greater. One Man's
Life is laved by a Difeafe \ another Is arrefted, and taken

ii6 SENECA Chap. VIH,

out of the Way, jail when his Houie-was falling upon
his. Head.

To fhew now that the Favours, or tTie • Cro(7es of
m J 'J t Fortune; and the Accidents of Sickriefs,

. » Q J and of Healthy are neither Good nor
^ y Evil ; God permits them indifferently,

both to good and evil Men. // is h'.rd,
you will fay, for a wrtuous Man to fuffer all /yt t* of
Mifery^ and for a.nxiicked Man not only to go free ^ but to
enjoy hi mf elf at Pleafure. And, is it not the fame tiling
for Men of prollituted Impudence and Wickednefs, to
ileep in a whole Skin, when Men of Honour and Ho-
nelly bear Arms, lie in the Treuches, and receive
Wounds ? Or, for the Veftal Virgins to rife in the Night
to their Prayers, when common Strumpets lie ilretch^
ing themfelves in their Beds ? We fhould rather fay
'with Demeiriusy If 1 had kno^jon the Will of Heaven
before I 'was called to it, I ivould have offered f^felf'
If it be the Pleafure of God to take my C hildren, I
'have brought them up to that End : If my Fortune^
any Part of my Body, or my Life, I would rather pfe-
fent it, than yield it up : I am ready to part with all,
and to fuffer all ; for I know that nothiog comes to
pafs, but what God appoints : Our Fate is decreed, acd
Things do not to much happen as in their due time pro-
ceed, and every Man's Portion of Joy, and Sorrow, is
predetermined.

- There is nothing falls amlfs to a * good Man, that

m \T ti' *i * ^^° ^^ charged upon Providence ; for

' • ; fT r •/ wicked Adions, lewd Thoughts, ambi- '

' **^Lrtl y tious Projeas, blind Lufts, and infatiabre

• M* Avarice, againft all thefe he is armed by

^^* the Benefit of Reafon : And, do we ex-

ped how that God (hould look to our Luggage too ? (I

mean our Bodies.) Demetrius discharged hirafelf of

his Treafure, as the Clog and Burden of his Mind.

'Shall we wonder then, if God fufiers that to befal a

good Man, which a good Man fbmetimes does to him-

felf ? I loie a Son, and whv not ? when it may fbme-

times (b fall out that 1 myfelf may kill him. Suppoie

' he be banifhed by an Order of State : Is it not the iame

thing wiih a Man'« volunury leaving of his CdUntry>

Qap.IX. Of A HAPPY LitE. 117

and never to return ? Many Afflictions may befall a
good Man, but no Evil ; for Contraries will never in-
corporate : All the Rivers in the World are never able
to change tfie Tafte or Quality of the Sea. Prudence .
and Religion are above Accidents, and draw Good out
of every ^hing ; AfHidlion keeps a Man in ufe, and
makes him drong; patient, and hardy. Providence treats
us like a generous Father, and brings us to Labours^-
Toils, and Dangers: whereas the Indulgence of a fond
Mother, makes us weak and fpiritlefs : God loves us with
a mafculine Love, and turns us loofe to Injuries and In*
dignities : He tdkes delight to fee a brave and a good
Man wreftling with evil Fortune, and yet keeping himfelf
upon his Legs, when the whole World is in Difbrder about
him. And are not we ourielves delighted, to fee a bold
Fellow prefs with his Lance upon a Boar, or Lion ? And
the Conftancy and Refolution of the Adlion is the Grace
and Dignity of the Spedade. No Man can be happy that
does not ftand firm aga'nil all Contingencies, and fay-to
himfelf in all Extremities, / Jhauld ha<ve been content^
if it miiht ha'ue been fj, or Jo\ but^ Jince it is otherihifi
deter mine i^ Go J nvill pro.vide better. The more we
llruggle with our Neceflicies, we draw the Knot the har-
der, and the worfe it is with us: And, the more the Bird
flaps and flutters in the Snare, the furer (he is caught ; So
that the bed way is to fubmit, and lie ftill under this
double Confideration, That the Proceedings c/God an
unquefiionable, and his Decrees not to be rejsfled.

CHAP. IX.

Of Levity of Mind ^ and other Impediments of a

Happy Life.

NO W to fum up what is already delivered, we have
(hewed what Happinefs is, and wherein it conlids:
That it is founded upon Wifdom and Virtue ; for we
niufl firiV know what we ought to do, anB then live ac-
cording to that Knowledge : We have alfo difcourfed the ,
Helps of Philofophy, and Precepts towards a happy Life :
The Blefling of a goqd Confcience ; That a good Man
can never be miferable, nor a wicked Man happy ; Nor

ttS SENECA Cb4p.IX»

any Map tmfortttnate* that cl^caifuUy fubmits to Provi-
dence. We (hall now exaaunea,.how it comes to pafs,
that when the certain way to Happinefs lies ib fair before
iis. Men will yet fteer their Coorfe on the other iide,
- ^hich as oianifeitly leads to Ruin.

There axe iuine that live without any* Defign a^*

• T^4^J:^^t. ^» ^^ ®n^y P^^5 ^» ^« World like'
fl^/^ Straws upon a River; they do not go,
4j aapfin^fm i^j ^^^ ^^ carryed. Others only de-
liberate upon the Parts of Life, and not upon the
Whole : which is a great Error % for there is no di(l
fpiing of the Circumflances of it, unlefs we firft pro-
pound the main Scone. How (hall any Man take his
Aim without a Mark ? Or, what Wind will ferve him
that is not yet refolvcd upon his Port : We live as it
were by Cbance, and by Chance we are governed. Some
there are that torment themfdves afreih with the Me*
mory of what is paft: L^rdt What did I endute ? Ne-^
^er «was arty Man in wy Condition ; e^ery body ga*ve mi
wtr; my 'very Heart was hki to breaks Sec. Others
again affii^ themfelves with theAppreheniioils of Evils to
come ; and very ridiculoufly both : For the one does not
no'w concern us, and the other not yet : Befide, that there
may be Remedies for Mifchiefs likely to happen; for they
give us Warning by Signs and Symptoms of their A p«
proach. Let him that would be quiet, take heed not te
provoke Men that are in Power ; but live without giving
Offence ; and if we cannot make all great Men our '
Friends, it will foffice to keep them from being our Enc-
nties. This'is a T-hing we muft-avotd, as a Mariner woold
do a Scorm. A riiili Seaman never con/iders what Wind
blows, or what Courfe he fleers; but runs at a Venturet
as if .he would brave- the Rocks, and the Eddies: where-
as he that is careful, and confiderate, informs himielf be-
forehand where the Danger lies, and what Weather it
18 iike to be : He confults his Compa(s, and keeps aloof
from thofe Places that arc infamous for Wrecks and
Mifcarriages. So does a wiic Man in the common Bufl*
nefs of Life : he keeps out of the way from thofe that
may do him Hurt ; but it is a Point of Prudence not to
let them take notice that he does it on purpofe ; for that
which a Man (huns, he tacitly condemns* Let hiA

Oup IX. Of A HAPPY tiPE. it9

hskve a care alfi) of Li/Pnerf^ Ne*iMfmwgers and Midd&ri
in other Peoples Matten ; for their Diicoarfe is com*
motdy of fuch Things at are nerer profitable, and moft
oofflmonly dangerous^ either to be fpokeo or heaid.

Lb V ITT * of Miad b a great Hindrance of Repo(e«
)md the very Change of Wickednefs is « r^, ., ,/. w- j.-.
.0 Addition tothe \Vick«ke6 itfelf; J^^-^fi^;;
ibrit is Inconftancy added to Iniqaity : j^ p^. /;
We reiinquiai the Thing we fought, V^'^^fy'*
and then we take it up again; and fo. divide our Livea
between oar Lufts, and our Repentances* From one
Appetite we pafs to another^ not (o mach upon Choice^
as for Change; and there is a Check of Confcience
that cafts a Damp upon all our unlawful Pleafores;
which makes us lofe the Day, in Expedation of the
Nighty and the Night itfelf for fear of the approaching
Light. Some Peopk are ruxtr quiet ;. others are ^lioays
fo; and they are both to blame : For that which looks
like Vivacity and Indofby in the one, is only a Reft-
lefTnefs a^d Agitation; and that which pafles in the
other for Moderation and Referve« is but a drowfy and
isnaflive Sloth. Let Motion land Refl both take thetr
turns, according to the Order of Nature, which make
both the Day and the Night : Some are perpetually
^lifting from one Thing to another : Others again make
their whole Life but a kind of uneafy Slesp : Some lie
toiling and turnif^ till Ycty Wearinefs brings them to
Reil : Others again I cannot {b properly call inconftant,
as hsy: There are many Proprieties and Diverfiues
of Vice ; but, it is one never failing Effect of it, to live
di^Ieafed. We do all of us labour under inordinate
Defires ; we are either timorous, and dare not venture,
or venturing, we do not fucceed : or el(e we catl our-
ielves upon uncertain Hopes, where we are perpetually
folicitous, and in Sufpence. In this Diftra^ion, we are
apt to propoTe to ourfelves Things diflioneft, and har4 ;
and when we have taken great Pains to no Purpofe, we
come then to repent of our Undertakings : we are afraid
to go on, and we can neither matter- our Appetites*
nor obey them : We live and die reftlefs and irrefolute ;
and, whkh is worft of all, when we grow weary of the
Pablic> 9nd betake oudelves to Solitude for Relief* our

f 20 SENECA Chap. IX.

Minds are fick, and wallowingy and tbe very Houie
and Wa-ls are troublefome to us ; we grow impatient,
and afliamed of ourielves ; and fapprefs our inward Vex-
ation, till it breaic our Heart for want of Vent. This it
16 that makes us. four, and morofe; envious of others,
and di^ati&fied with ourielvec : Till at lafl, betwixt-
^ur Troubles for other Peoples SucceiTes, and theDe^'
ipair of our own, we fall foul upon Fortune, and the
Times ; and get into a Corner perhaps, where we iit
brooding over our own Difquiets. In thefeDifpofitions
there is a kind of prun'ginous Fancy that makes (bme
People take delight in Labour and Uneaiinefs, like the
clawing of an Itch until the Blood ftart .

* Th IS is it that puts us upon rambling Voyages ; one
mm r d; while by Land ; but flill difgufted with

.^^^''ffV w thePrefent; the Town pleifes us to-
does r,o(jOQaiici:h' j .1. A ^ ^ *^ rrii

^ .r-L yif 7^*y» fhe Country tomorrow: The

""^^"/'"'"^Slpendours of Court at one Time;
the Horrors of a Wilderneis at another : but all this
while we carry our Plague about us ; for it is not the
Place we are weary of, butourfelves. Nay, our Weak-
nefs extends to every Thing, for we are impatient equally
of Toil, and Pleafure. This trotting of the Ring, and*
only treading the fame Steps over and over again, has
made many a Man lay violent Hands upon himfelf. It
muli be the Change of the Mind, not of the Climate,
that will remove the Heavinefs of the Heart : Our
Vices go along with us, and we carry in ourielves the
Caufes of our Difquiets. There is a great Weight lies
upon us, and the bare ihocking of it makes it more
uneaiy: Changing of Countries, in this cafe, is not
Travelling but Wandering. Wc muft keep on our
Courfe, if we would gain our Journey's end. Hi
that cannot li*vt happily any 'where ^ nuill linje happily no
fwhere^ What is a Man the better for Travelling ? As
if .bis Cares could not find him out wherever he goes?
Is there any retiring from the Fear of Death, or of Tor-
ments ? Or from thofe Difficulties which befet a Man
wherever he is ? It is only Philofophy that makes the
Mind invincible, and places us out of the Reach of For«
tune ; fo that all her Arrows fall (hort of us. This it is
that reclaims the Rage of oar Lolls, and fweetens the

I ..

!Chap.IX. Of A HAPPY LfFE, «ai

Anxiety <>£ our Fesrs : Freqaent cbaogiog of f laces, or
Coonlelsy (hews an Inilabllity.of Mlod : and we mull hx
the Body, befoK we can £x the Soul : We can hardly
klr abroad, or look about us, without encounti-ing foaie-
diiDg or other that revives our Appetites. As he that
.would caft offancivhappy Love, avoids whatfoeyermay
pot him in mind of the Perfqn : So he that would wholly
deliver himfelf from his i>eioved Lufts, mud ihun all
Objefks that may put them in his Head again, and re*
«nlnd him of them. We travel^ as Children run up and
down after fbange Sights, for Novelty not Profit 5 we
^etom neither the better nor the fovnder; nay, and the
very Agitation hurts us. We learn to. Call Towns and
Places by their Names, and to tell Stories of Mountains,
«Bd of Rivers: But had'not our Time been better fpent
in the ftvdy of Wifdonit and of Virtue? In the Learn^
Ing of what is already diftovered, and in tlie Qgell of
Things not yet found out? If a Man break his Leg, or
, ftrain ms Apde, he fends preferidy for a Surgeon to fet
«U right again ; and does not take Horfe upon it, or put
bimfelf on Shipboard: No. more does the Change of
Place worit upon oar dtfordered Minds, than xipon. our
Bodies.- It is not the Place, I hope, that mtikes either
AD OrAtor, or a Phyfician. Will any Man a(k upon the
R<»d, Pray.whidi is die W«y to Prudence, to Juftice, to
Temperance, to Fortitude? No matter whither any
Man goes, that carries his Afie£Uons along with him.
He that would make his Travels delightful, muil make
himfelf a temperate Companion. A great Traveller was
cenaplainkg, that he was never the better of his TraveU;
^Jhai is 'very triu^ faid 8ocra$eiy htcaufc y^u /ra<i:fIieJ
nmthyi^/t^. Now had he QQt bfiitter have made himfelf
another Man,, than totranfport him&if to another Place ?
2t is no matter what Manners we find anywhere, fo long
as we carry our own. But we have ail of us a natutal
.Curiofity of feeing fine Sights, and of making new Dif-
coverie${ turning over Antiquities, learning the Culloms
of Nations, l^c. We are never quiet; to-day we feek
an Offices to morrow we are fick of it : We divide our
Lives betwixt a Diflike of the Prefent, and a Defire of
the Future; but he that lives as he fhould, orders him-
felf fo as neither to fear nor to wilh for to-morrow : if

G

«tt SENECA Cliap. rX,

St ceiBe» k h welcome, Ixit if not, there is no&mg toils
lor, that which kcomei is but the iame over agam with
what is pad. As Levity is a perakidos Enemy to Qoiet ;
{6 Pertinacy is a great tme too. The <ui€ chai^ges no-
chin^, the other IHcke to nothiog ; and which of the tw6
is the werie may be a Queftion. It is nKmy times feen
that we beg earneftly for thofc Things, which, if they
were bIFered us, we would refuse; and it is hot jnft to
punilh this Eafinefs of Aflcing wi^ an equal FaciHty of
Granting. Iliere are fbne Things we would' be thought
to defire, wliich we are fb 4ar ^^m deiiring, that we
«dread them. JjMi tiriyou, fays one, in thfe Middle of.
a tedioas Story : Nay, fray he fleafid to g^ ^n, we cry,
though we wiihed his Tongue oCit at half way ; Nay, we
<3o not deal candidly even with God himlelf* We fiioald
{bj to ouHclves in-thefe Ctffes, 9'^s I have dru'wn wfM
fHyfelf, i could never he quiets till rhad%9Hen this Wo^
maftf this Place, this Efiate, this Bhmur \ 4»ki nofw Jh
^lohat is e^mt ^ it,

OKE-'fovereign -Remedy againft all -MisfertBiies, is
m r a ^ Coniftahcy • of Mmd ; Ae chtogfn# df

Jronji^cy tf p^^^r^ ;^^^ Countenances, looks ae if

Mtn4Jecur€i us ^ y^^ ^^^ ^^..^^ ^.^j^ the Wind.

/!/ Nothing can,be abote him that is ab«M

^'* Portone. It is not Violence, RepkMK:h,

Contempt, or whatever eMe from without, i^^- -can
snake a wife Man quit his Ground ; but he is^f^roof a*
, gainft Cafenaities, both great and fnaaH^ only our Error
is, that what ^e cs^nnot do ouHehres, w« liiink no body
elfe can ; fo that, we judge of the Wife by ^ Mei^ures
of the Weak, i^ace me among Princes, or among Reg-
gars ; the one fhall not make me prottd,-«M>r fbe other
alhamed ; Jean take as (bond a Sleep in a Bam as in a
Palace, and a Bottle of Hay makes -me as good a L<k!gxBg
as a Bed of Down. Should every Day fucceed to- my
Wi(h, it ihould not tranfport me ; nor would I think my«
ielf miferable, if I (hould not have one quiet Hour in
my whole Life. I i^ifl not tranfport myieif for either
Pain or Pleafure ; but yet for all tnat I could wi(h that I
had an eafier Game to play ; and that i were put rather
to moderate my Joys, thaii my Sorrdws. If ( were gn
imperial' Prince, I had rather take than betdken; and

4

1

i

Chap. IX. Of A HA]PPY LIFE. 123

yet I would bear the fame Mind under the Chariot of my
Conqueror, thaft I luid in mjt own. ^ It is no great Mat*>
ter to trample upon thofe Things that are mofl coveted
■or fsmcd t^ the oommoo People. Theit'tre thole that
will laogh upon the Wheel ; aod caft themfelves upon a
certain Deaths only upon a TranTport of Love, perhaps
^nger. Avarice, or Revenge : How much- mort then
upon an In^ndt of Virtue; which is invincible, and Hea-
dy ? If a &ort ObfUnacy of Mind can do this ; how much
more fhall a compoied, and a deliberate Virtue ; • wh(^ .
force is equal and perpetual ? ',•*-;

To fecure ourielves in this World; ^fts'wemiid
aim at * J30thixig tl^atMen c^uot-Avorth ^^ 7pyft
the wrangling for: Secondly,, we mull L^J.^JL^'-tl
not value the Poflefipn of any Thi«g, TT^ jTI,^
which even a common thief would thiii ^'tiZ ' -
worth the ileallng. A Man's Body is '^"^' , ,
no Pooty. Let th^ Way be never £> dangerous ^r
Robberies, the Poor, and the Naked ^h .quietly^ • yv
pLain-deaUng Sincerity of Manners makes a Man's ]Li^e
happy, even in Defpite of Scorn and Con^mpt ; which
js every clear Man's Pate. Bnt we. -had bexcer yet (>r.
contemned for Simplicity, than lie perpetually upon t^ie
Torture of iiCoynterfeit; pmvided .that Care be tokien
sot to confeuod Simplicity with Negligence : And it«is ^
anor^over joif uneafy Life, that of a Difguiie : For a
Man to feem 4to be what he is not; xo keep a perpetual
Ouard npcm hifolelf, and to live in fear of a Difcovery.
He takes every Man that looks upon him for a Spy ;
t>ver and abov^ the Trouble of being put to play anotlier
Man's Paft. It h a eceat Remedy in fome Cnfes ibr a
Man to ?pply hii^felf to civjl AiFairs, and public Bofi-
fie(s; af)d yet in .this State of Life too, what betwixt
. Ambition and Calumny, it is hardly fafe to be hone/l.
There ane indeed ^me Cafes wherein a wife Man will
aive way : But kt him not yield ovcr-eaflly neithei-: If
m marches off, kt him have a care of J)is Honour; and
make his £Letreat \yith his Sword in his Hand, and his
Face to the Enemy. Of all others, a Hudious Life is (be
leall tirefome: it makesi us e^y to ourklves, and to
Qtber^^ aod gUiins ua both Friends and Reputation.

G 2

'tH SENECA Chap.X.

C H A P. X.

He that fits up his Rift upoft Contingencies^ Jball

never be quiet,

NEVER pronoance any Man happy that depends
upon Fortune for his Happinefs : for nothing can
4>e more prepofteroos than to place the Good of a reafon-
-able Creatare in unreaibnable Thingf . If I have loft
any Thing it was adventitious ; ana the \^ Money,
the lefs Troable y the lefs Favour, the lefs Envy : Nay,
even in thoie Cafes, that puts us out of oqr Wits, it it not
the Lofs it(eif» but the Opinion of the Lo(s that tronbles
us. It 16 a common Miftake to account thofe Things
neceflary that are fnperfluous» and to depend upon For-
tune for the Felicity of Life, which arifes only from
'Virtue. There is no trufting to her Smiles : the Sea
Jwells'and rages in a Moment, and the Ships are (wallowed
up at Night, in the very Place where they fported them-
selves in the Morning. And Fortune has the iame
Power over Prin^, that it has over Empires ; over Na-
tions, that it has over Cities ; and the fame Power over
Cities that it has over private Men. Where is the Eftate
that may not be followed upon the Heel with Famine and
Beggary ? That Dignity which the next Moment may
not be laid in the Duft ? That Kingdom that is iecure
from Defolation and Ruin ? The Period of all Things is
at Hand, as well that which cafts out the Fortunate, as
the other that delivers the Unhappy ; and that which may
fall out at any Time, may fall out this very Day. What
^ail come to pafs I know not, but what may conve to pafi
1 know : So that 1 will defpair of nothing, but expert
«very Thing ; and whatfbever Providence remits, is clear
•Gain. Every Moment, «f it fpares me, deceives me : and
yet in (bme fort rt does not deceive me s for thoagh I
know that any Thin^ may happen ; yet I know likewife^
that every Thing will not 1 will hope the beft, and
provide for the woril. Methinks we fhould not find fi>
much fault with Fortune for her Inconftancy, when we
ourfelves fu^r a Change every Moment that we five ;
«nly other Changes make more Noifc, and this iteala

-Cliap.X. Of*A HAPPY LIFE. ray.

upon OS like the Shadow of a Pial i every Jot as oerttin-
ly» but more iaieniiblv.

TtiB Barniog of tyetu may ferve to flievir*4is» that
we arc never tofe; and to arm us a* » ^ j a ^^ ^r

inft aU Surpri?«s. The Terror of it ./fr ^'/'T'f «i.

eainft all Surprises, xnc Acrn/s^ui n ^f yr -. . ,^ ^
muft needs be great, for the Calamity ^ ™'? -^Y
is almoft without Example. If it had ff'i* "^^^^'^t 1*
been fired by an Enemy, the Flame ^^o^^HV^l'
would have left fome farther Miichief
to have been done by the Soldiers : But to be. wholly
confumed, we have not heard of many Earthquakes (a-
pernicious : So many Rarities to be deflroyed in oue-
Night, and in the Depth of Peace to foffer an Outrage
beyond the Extremity of War. Who would believe
it ? But twelve Hours betwixt io fair a City and . none
at all \ it was laid in Aihes in lefs Time than it would
require to tell the Story. To ftand unihaken in fuch a
Calamity is hardly to be expeded ; and our Wonder
cannot Dat be equal to ,oar Grief. Let this Accidtuc
teach ui to provide againft all PoIGbilitxeB, that fall with-
in the Power of Fortune ; all external Thines are under
her Dominion ; One while flie calls.her Hands to her kU
^ance; another while (he contents herfelf with her own
Force, and dedroys us with Mifchiefs of which we can-
not find the Author. No Ttme, Place, or (^onidition is
excepted; (he makes our very Pleafures painful to us ^
ihe makes War upon us in the Depth of Peace, and turns
the. Means of our Security into an Occafion of Fear ; ihe
turns a Friend into an Enemy, and makes a Foe of a
Companion'; we (iifier Che Ette£U of War without any
Adverfary ; and rather than fail, our Felicity (hall be the
Caafe of our DeHrudbn. Left we (hould either forget,
or negie& her Power, every Day produces fomethin^
extraordinary. She perfecutes this moil temperate with
Sicknefs, the (IrongeH Conflitutions with the Phchific ;
(he brings the Innocent to Puniihment, and the moil re-
tired (he aitaults with Tumults. Thoie Glories that have
grown up wicb many A|;es, with infinite Labour and £x<
pence, and under the l^vour of many aufpicious Provi*
dences, one Day fcatters, and brijigs to nothing. He
that pronounced a Day, nay an Hour fufficient for the
DeHrudlion of the greateil Empire, might have fallen t«

G 3

jiS S K K E C A Chap.X.

a Moment. It wWe ibme Comfort yet to the Fndlty of

Mankind,, and of hnman ASadn^ if Things might bat
decay as ffowly a» they rife; but they grow by Degrees,
and they fall to Rutin h an fnftant. There is no Fe&-
city in any Thing either private or poblic : Men, Na-
tions and Cities have all their Fates and Periods: Oar
-very Entertaiaments are not without Terror, and par
Calamity rifes there where we I'eaft expe£^ it. Thbfe
Kingdoms that flood the Shock both of foreign Wars and'
civil, confe tot)cftfuftion wrAout the Sight of afi JEnemy.
Nay,' we arie to dreaS'otk' Peace "and Felkity^ more than *
Violence, becaufe .we are then taken unprovided; un-
Icfc^irt t(>^9'|^ of Peace we do the Duty of Men in War,
aiid fay:td ovh-^JS^l^feV, iVbatfienjer m^ hy *wi/I be. I am
to-day fafe, aiid Ifappy ifriihe Love of my Oonhtry ; I am
to-morrow banifhed ; To-dky iit Pleafure, Peace, Health;
to-moi^ow broken uptttf the Wheel, led in Triumph,
• and in Agony alri Skkriefs* Let ' us therefore prepare
Y^r a Sljlpv^r^? in the Port; yM for a Teihpeft in a
(^Im; *phe Violence drives me from myCountry, another
r&vlfhes that from me; and that very Place where aMaa
c5tr hardly pafi this Day for a Crpwd, may be to-morrow
a Defert. Wherefore let us fet before onrEyes the whole
Condition of human Nature, and confider as well what
vtay happen, as what commonly dotU The A^ay la
make future Calamities eafy to us in the Sufierance, is
to make them familiar to us in the Contemplation.
How many GIties in Afi^^ Jchaia^ /(fyria^ Macediania^
have been fwallowed up by Earthquakes ! Nay, whole
Countries are loft, and large Provhices laid onddr Wa-
ter ; but Tirte brings all 'Riings to an end, for all tht
Works ^ Mortals are mortal : * AH Pofieffions and their
Poffeirors, are uncertain and perifiiablc ; and what woader
' is it to lofe any Thing at any Time, when we mull otie
Day lofe all f

That which we * call our own, is but lent us ; and

• cTL L' L what we have received ^ra///, we muft

.narwAichw return without Complaint. ThatwhfcK"

c^iour own, ts p^f^ane git^es u^ this Honr, flie may

Irut lent »/• . ^^^^ ^^^y ^^^ ^^^ . ^^^ j^^ ^Yi?X trufls

tb; her Favours, ihall cither find himfelf deceived, or
it He bjc not; h» wiH 5t leaft be tabled bccaafe he^

a^.r; Of A H A P P T E I F E. tzf

rnkSf be fo» TImtb h 'no p«fence ' in W^Is, Fbrtiica*
tiOBSy and £i]|;iaes». agstraft the Power of Fortune ; we;
niuft frevsdc .otnfeliret within^ and when we are fafe
diene, we are kviociUe; we w»f,hc battered, but not
ukeo» , Mer thrown her Gifb among ns, and we fweat
and fcuflle' fbr t^est*: Ncvtr oonfidcring' how .lew are-
the better ibr that wticb h.-ejtpeaed by tlL Some
are trani^orted with what tbey^:* Othters- topnkstted
for wImc -they bh6; and naay times thcte h^a Leg
or an Arm bn^ceW.in aConteft^for a Couaier* She.
givt us Honoort, RicMes, Favoursy only to tabe their»>
away again v ei^bet by Yiolence os Treaehery : So that
they ftequently turn.; to -the Dantage of the J^ecttmcr. -
She thfows out Baits for us, and* feti Traps^ ^ we do
for Bird) and Beails ;: her -Bounties are Snares; and 'Lime-
t«(]gf to as I we think iiiiat wie t^ke» bnt/.we itrO'taken*^
If they had Iny Thidg in tl^m that were fvbibntial, they
woaid foaie Time or other fiU, andquiet-ns.; but they
fenrc oalyto provoke our Apf^etite^ wichoat a^iy Tbitig*.
more thaaPoiKpy aiuiShaw» to allay it. Bat die^bcft of
it ih if a;'Man^6ainot mend bis Poctuoe, Jie may pt
m^ftd Us Ma^oera^ and put himfelf fo far oat«f her Reachy!
tbaj^.wbetber (he gives or takes^ it ihallbdiiU one' to us ;
for we are aettker. the greater fcNr the oaay nor the iefs -
for the otho*. - WecalJ this a dark Robm/ or that a light
oae ;, when it is in hfdf ndtker the otie^ nor the ot^r^
bat orAjM tkeI>By>and the-Night renders it. And fo it
isHU fijcfaesy fiir^ngth-oF Body, Beauty, Honour, Com*
maiid£iAiirilikewifeanPain« Sickn^ BaDifbinenty Oeadi;^
whkh^Mre ial'ihtm&Wes raiddlr and indifferent Things*.
and Oily good> or 'bad, as^hey are in6oenced by Virtue*
To waep> lament, and groan,* is to renounce our Duty;
and k >» the fame We&ncfs on the other iide to c:i:uit
and rejoice r I wooki rather make my Fortune, th&n eoe-
pod It; being neither depreffed with her Injuries, nor
daaidded with bcr Favour. When Ze»9 was told, that alt
hi# Goodfi .were di owned t- M^hy tben^ hyj& he, Fortune
hat a mM to nudttmra PbiUfopbir, it is a great Mat-
ter £m a Man to advance hss Mind above her Threats,
or,f iSeries; for he that, has oace gottea the better o£
her, is fafe for ever.

G4

izS SENECA Chap. X.

It is feme Comfort yet to the Unfeftmiate, that gwat

• r. . ^ Men lie under * ^e La(b for Compa.
Fortune /tares ^^ ^^^^ jy^^^ ^ ^ ^J^^

neuhir great nor ^^ ^^ ^j^ ^ ^^^ . ^ ^y^^

jmaiL whoev^ b above me» has a Fower alib^

> above him. Do we not daily fee Funerak widioat
Trouble, Princes depofed, Covmries depopulated. Towns
^lacked without (o much as thinl^ing how foon it may
ht our own Cafe f Whereas^ If we would but prepare,
and arm onrfelves agakift the Intqoities of Fortune,
^ we^ihoutd never be liirprized. When we fee any Man
bamfhed^ beggar*d» tortured, we are to account, that
though the Mifehirf ifXL upon another, it was levelled
at us. What Wonder is it* if of ib many thoufauds
of Dangers that are confiantly hovering about ds, one
comes to hit ua at laft ? That which befals any Man
may befel every Man; and then it breaks the Force of
a prefent Cahunity, to provide agatnft the future. What-
Ibever our Lot is, we mnft bear it ; as foppofeit be C(n»*
tumely. Cruelty, Fire, Sword, Pains, Difeafes, or a
Prey tt> wild Beafts ; there b no ftmggtiftg, nor any Re-
medy but Moderation. It is to no Punofe to bewail
any Part of our Life, when Life itfeif is miferabie through-
out; and the whole Flux of it only a Couvfe of Tranfi*
tion from one Misfortune to another. A Man may as
well wonder, that he ftould becdd in Winter/ Sek ^
Sea, or have his Bones dattened together ia a Waggon ;
as at the Encounter of ill Accidents, and Ooffes in the
PaiTageof human Life; audit is in rain to ruft away
from Fortune, as if there were any Hidng-place where*
in flie could not find us; or to expeQ any Quiet from '
htT^ for (he makes Life a perpetual State of War, with-
out fo much as any Refpite or Trace. This we may
conclude upon, that her Empire is but imaginary, and
that wbofoever ferves her, makes himfeif a voluntary
Slave ; for the Thhtgs that are often centemtud iy the h^
ep ft/iterate f and alweeys hy the Wife^ are in thetftJdifeM
neither geod nor e'vil ; as Pleafure and Pain; P^perity
and Adverfity ; which can only operate opoa ourout«
ward Condition, without any proper and neceffiiry BEt£t .
upon the Mind.

p

Cb^. XL Of' A HAP?Y LIFE. 129

,C H A P. XL

A ftnfualLifi is a mi/fraili Lifim

TH E Senfuality that we here^reat of falls natarallr
under the Head of Luxury'; which extends to all
the ExcefTes of Gluttonjr*, Luft, Efieminacy of Manners ;
and, in fbort, to vThatfoever concerna the over-great Care
of the Carcafe.

To begin now with the Pleafurcs of the ♦ Palate,
(which deal with us like Egyptian ^^tl v /r rr
Thieves, that ftrangle thofe they ^*' ^^'-^''«^^.«^
embrace.) Whatfhall we fay of the "O^^/^^''''*''^
Luxury of Nomentanus and Apkius^ fatttju .
that entertained their very Souls in the Kitchen; they have
the choiceft Mufic for their Ears ; the moft diverting
Speftacles for their Eyes ; the choicefl Variety of Meats
and Drinks for their Palates. What is alt this, I fay»
but a nurry Mudnejs? \t is true, they have their De«
lights, but not without heavy and anxious Thoughtf»
even in their viery Enjoyments \ befide that they arc
followed with Repentance, and their Frolics are little more
than the Laughter of (b many People out of their
Wits. Their Felicities are full of Difquiet, and neither
fincere, nor well-grounded ; but they have need of one
Pleafure to fupport another; and of new Prayers ta
forgivte the Errors of the former. Their Life muft
needs be wretched, that get with great Pains, what (he/
keep with greater. One Divifion over-takes another ;
Hope excites Hope ; Ambition begets Ambition, fb that
they only change the Matter of their Miferies, without
feckingany End of them, and (hall never be without ei-
ther profperous, or unhappy Caufes of Difquiet, What
if^' Body might have all the Pleafares in the Worfd for
the Aiking ? Who would fo much unman him(elf, as by
accepting of them, to defert his Soul, and become a per-
petual Slave to his Senfes ? Thofe falfe and adnurabte Pa-
lates, that judge of Meats by the Price, and Difficulty,
not by the Healthfulhefs, or Tafte : they vomit thac
they may eat ; and they eat that they may fetch it up
again. They crofs the Seas for Rarities, and when they
ka»e fwallowed them, they will not fo much as give them
Tlmrto^dKi^ Wberefoever Nature has placed Mca»

i^= is 1^ N JE C A Chap. Xf.

« ^

fhe has provided them AllnQent ! Bat wfc rather chufe to
irritate Hunger lif Expefice^ thiin to allay it at an ealier
Rate. What is that we plow the Seas for ; or arm oar* .
felves ajjainft Meh atid'Bcafts ? To what etid do we to3,
arfd labour, and pile Bags npbn Bags ? We may enlarge
oiir Fortunes, but we cannot our Bodies? fo that it does
but fpiil and ruti over, whasfoever we take more tban
we ^an bold. Our Forefathera (by force of whofe Vir- '
tuts we arc n6w fupported id Our Vices) lived evtry jot
as-well as we, when they provided and aiiefred tlieir own
Meat with their own Hands ; lodged upon the Ground,
and were not as yet come to the Vanity of Gold and
Ge^ns.: When they fwore by their earthen Gods, and kept
their Oath, though they died for it. , Did not our Confuls
lir^ more happily when they cooked their own Meat with
thSfc vi£!orious Hands that had conquered fo many Enc-"
mlcs, and won Co many Laurels ? Did tbey' not live
jrio're happily, I fay, than our Jpiclust (that Corrupter
of Youth, ;&rid Plague of the Age he lived in) ^ho after
he had fpent a prodigious Fortune upon his Bdiy, poifba- .
ed {limfelf for fear of Starving when he Had yec 25000a
Crpvins Jn his Coffers ; whicn may fcrvc to (hew as, that
it is th^ Mind, and nOt the Sum that makes any ManT
lich : When ^/V/fcj wifh all his Treafure counted him-
iejf in a Slate of Beggary; and took Poifon to avoid that
Qpndition, which another would have prayed for. But
why do we call it Poifon, which was the whole(bmeft
rtraught of his Life ? His daily Gluttony was Poifon ra-
ther," both to hitnfelf and others. His Cftentation of it
was intolerable ; and fo was the infinite Pains he took ta.
miflead others, by his Example, who went fafl enough
of themfelves without driving.

It is .a Shame for a Man to place his • Felicity in
• i/ 5 / '/ ^^^^^ ^i^t^^^^inraents and Appetites, that
' Hatt^^f ^^'^ i^i'onger in Brutes. Do not Bea^s eat
^^'^t / *'^^^* with a better Stomach ? Have they not

tith^uT ^""'^ Satisfaaion.in their Lufls ? And
per an en. ^^^^ j^^^^ ^^^^ ^^j^ ^ quicker RelHh of

their Pleafures, but they enjoy them without eii her Scan-
dal or Remorfe. If Senfuality were Happinefs, Beafts
were happier than Men j but human Felicity \s lodged
^a the ioul,-aot in the Ficlh. Th^-'thrft'^ ddiv6r

Cinp.Xr. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 131

themtchei ap to Luxury, are fiill eidier tormented with
too little^ Of oppreiM with too much ; and eqnaJly mi-^
ferable by being either deferted, or overwhelmed : They
are like Men in a dangerous Sea ; one while caft a-dry
upon a Rocky and another while fwallowed up in a
Whirl-poc^ ; and all this fneom the MiJlake of hotdiilin*
guifhing Good from EviL The HuDtfman that with
much Labour and Hazard takes a wild Beafl, runs at
great a Ri(k afterwards in the keeping of him s for many
times he tears out the Throat of his Mafter ^ and it is the
fame Thing with inordhiate Pleafures: the more in
number, and the greater they are» the more general and
aMblute a Slave is the Servant of them^. Let the common
People pronounce him as happy as they plea/e» he pays
llfs Liberty forhis De%fats, and fells himfelf for what he
bnys.

LtT any Man take a View of our Kitchens ; the
Number of our Cooks, and the Va- rgr l
riety of our Meats : Will he not won- n '/• r '^r,'^'^
der to fee fo m«ch Provifion made for ^'-^^^"^ ^' ^'^^
one BeRy f We have as many DifesCts as we haire Cooks.^
or Mdits ; and the Service of the Appetite is the Study
now in vogue. To fey nothing of our Train of
Lacqueys; and other Troops ofCaterens aod Sewers;
Good God! tikit ever one Belly &ould employ £0 auny
Pbopk. How nauieous aifd Ailtbme are the Surfeit*-
that fbflow theie Exce/Tes f Simple Meats are ouc o^
Faihkm ; and all are colkded into one; fo that the
Cook does the C^ce of the Stomach ; nay, and of ther
I'eeth tt>d, for the Meat looks as if it were chewed
before- band ; here is tlie Luxury of all Taftes in one
Diih, and hker a Vomit than a Soup. From thefe
cocapounded Dtihes arafe cosnpoundod Difeaies> which*
icquire compounded Medicines; It is the fonieliiirg:
^ith our Minds, that it is with our Tables ; fimf^ Vicer
are curtiUe by iimpla-Counfeis, but a general Diir(ikitk)a
oTManners is hardly overcoaae : We are oveF«-Fun ;wit i »
public as wdl as with a privjlteMadnefs. ThePh^'iiici4i a^
af old underftood little more than the Virtue of fon^
Herbs to ftop Blood; or heal a Wound : And their firm
and healthfd BoJies needed little. more, before they were
corrupted by Luxury and Pleafurc ; and when itcame.to*

G 6

132 SENECA Clu4[>. XI.

that ooce, their Bufinefs was not to allay HnLgtr, bat to
provoke it by a thoafand Inventions and Sauces* That
v^hich was Aliment to a craving StoiAach, » become a
Borden to a full one. From hence come Falenefs, Trem-
bling ; and worfe ESe€t» from Grodities, thto Famine ;
A Weaknefs in the Joints, the Belly fbecched, Soffii^on
of Choler ; the Torpor of the Nerves; and a Palpitation
of the Heart. To fay nothing of Megrims, Torments
of the Eyes, and £ars; Head-ach, Gout, Scarvy ; (eve«
ral forts of Fevers, and putrid Ulcers ; with other Dif-
cafes, that are but the PunHhmeht of Luxury. So long
as our Bodies were hardned wi^h Labour, or tired with
Exerctie, or Hunting, our Food was plain and fimple ;
many Dilhes have maude many Difeafes.

It is an ill Thing for a Man not to know the Meafure '
of his Stomach ; nor to condder, that Men do many
Things in their Drink that they are afhamed of (ober;
* n nJt / ' Drunkennefs being nothing elfe but * ar
ru ^"v-"' ^ voluntary Madnefs. It emboldens Men
W««*«r, A}^n,Ji j^ ^^ ^jj'^^ ^f Mifchiefs ; it both ir-

rttates Wickednefs and difcovers tt; it does not make
Men vicious, but it fhews them to be ib : It was in a
drunken Fit that AUxandtr flew Clytus^ It makes him
that is infok^nt, prouder; him that is cruel, fiercer;
it takes away all Shame. He that is pecvifii, breaks
out prefently into jH Words, and Blows. TheLeacher^
without any Regard to Decency or Scandal, turns up
his Who;e in the Market-place* A Man's Tongue
trips, his Head turns round ; he llaggers tn his Pace..
To fay nothing of the Crudities and Difeaies that follow -
upon this pjfiemper. Confider the public Mifchiefs it
has done. I^ow many warlilie Nations, and ftrong
Cities that have Hood in vincible to Attacks and Sieges^
has Drankennefs overcome? Is it not a great Honour
to drink the Companydead ? A magnificent Virtue to
fwallow more Wine than the reft; ana yet at laft to be

' outdone by a Hogfhead ? What (hall we fay of thofe Men
that invert the Offices of Day and Night? As if our
Eyes were only given us to make ufif of in the Dark, la

' M Day ? // hTime to f,o u Bid. Is it Night I It is TimeU
ri/e. Is it towards Morning ? Let m go uSufp€r, When
other People lie down> they rife; and lie till the next

r

Ciap.XI. Of A HAPPY tIPE. ijj

Night to 4igeil the Debaacb of the Day before. It is an
Argument of Clownery* to do as other People do. Lax*
ury deals upon as by Degrees ; lirft it fhews itfelf in a
more than ordinary Care jof oar Bodies ^ it (lips next in«
to the Furniture of our Houfts; and it gets then imo the
Fabric, Curioiity, and Expence of the Houfi? itfelf ^ It
appears, laflly, in the phantaiticalfixceiles of our Tables,
we change and (hulRe our Meats ; confound oor Sauces »
ierve that in firft, that ufes to be the laft ; and valve our
Difhes> nof for the Tafte, but for the Rarity. Nay, we
are fb deliciousi that we mud be told when we are to eat
or drink ; when we are hungry, or weary ; and we cherifli
fome Vices as Proofs and Arguments of our Happinefs.
The mod niferable Mortals are they that deliver them*
ielves npjto their Palates, or to their Luds; ThePleafure
is ibort, and turns prefentty nau/eous, and the End of it
is either Shame or Repentance. It is a Brutal Entertain*
inent, and unworthy of a Man to place his Felicity in the
Service of his Senfes. As to the Wrathful, the Con*
t^ntious, the Ambitious, though the Didem per be great^
the Offence has yet fomething in it that is manly : But,
the bafeil of Prollitutes are thofe that dedicate themfelvet
wholly to Lud; what with their- Hopes and Fears,*
Anxiety of Thought, and perpetual Diiquiets, they are
never well, full nor fading.

What a deal of Bufinefs is now * made about ouf
Houfes, and Diet, which was at fird m ri v ji j
both obvious, and , of little Expence ? y^J^f/f^
Luxury led the way, and we have em- /""J' v «*«0'*
ployed our Wits in the Aid of our Vices. Fird, we d«J-,
fired Superfluities ; our next Step was to Wickednefs ;
and, in Conclufion, we delivered up our Minds to our
Bodies, and fo became Slaves to our Appetites, which'
before were our Servants, and are now become our
Maders. What was it that brought us to the Extrava-
gance of Embroideries, Perfumers, Tire women, ^r.
We pafTed the Bounds of Nature, and laflied out into
Superfluities, infomucb, that it is now-a-days only for
Beggars and Clowns to content themfelves with what is
fuflicient: Our Luxury makes us infolent, and mad.
We Uke upon us like Princes, and fly out for tvcry
Trifle, as if there were Life and D;ath in the Cafe.

•m f r '

t34 S B N F C A Cliap.XI.

\Vhat a Madaefs is it for aXfan to lay out an Eitate upon
« Table, or a Cabinet; a Patrimony upon a Pair of
Pendenti, and to enflame the Price of Curiofitiesj accor*
ding to the Hazard either of bicaking or lofing them ?
Ta wear Garments that will neither defend a Woman's
Bodyy nor her Modesty; fo this^ that one would m^e
a Confcience of fwearing (he were not naked ? For
(he haidly (hews more in the Priracies of her Amour^
than in Public, Mow long ihall we covets aad opprefs ^
enlarge oar PoiTeiSons ; and account that too littk for
0ne Man, which was formerly enough for a Nation >
And our Luxury is as idati&ble as our Avance. Where
is that Lake, that Sea, that Fore(^« that Spot of Laod»
that is not ranfacked to gratify our Palate ! The veiy
Earth is burdened with our Buildings; not a River aor
a MouRtain eCcapes us. Oh that there (hould be fnch
boundlefs Defires in our little Bodies ! Would not fewer
Lodgings ferve us ? We lie but in one, and where we
are not^ Chat is not properly ours. What with our Hooks,.
Saare», Nct8> Dogs, tifc. we are at War with all living
Creatures j and nothing comes amifs but that which is
either top cheap or too common ; and aU this is to gra-
tify a phantadical Palate. Our Avarice, cor Ambition,
our Lufts, are inlatiable'; \^e enlarge our Po/lblGoos ;.
(Well our Families ; we rifle Sea and Land for Matter of
Ornament, and Luxury. A Bull contents himfelf with
one Meadow ; and one Foreft is enough for a thoufand
Elephants ; but the little Body of a Man devours more
than all other living Creatures. We do not eat to (atisTy
Hanger, but Ambition; we are dead while we are alive,
and our Hoo^- are fo much our Tombs, that a Man
might wriee our Epitaphi upon our very Doors.

A * voluptuous Per ^n, in £ne, can neither be 21 good'
* A^ij I tia J ^^'^> ^ good Patriot, nor a good Friend j.
D /• ^ f 1- ^or he is tranfported with his Appetites.

> -^'y^^l without confidering that the Lot of Urn
a good Man.. .^ jj^ Ljj^ ^^ j^^^^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^

(like a good Soldier) will ftand his Ground, receive
Wound?, glory in his Scars, and in Death itfclfi love
his Mailer for whom he falls; with that divine Precept
always in his Mind^ Folloiv Good. Whereas he thac
complains, laments^ and groans^ mult yield neverthe-

r

auif.Xit Of A HAPPV LIPE. 135'

Ids, and ^o Ills ]Xit)r, diet^h in ipite of bis Heart.
Now, whvt ft Miidfeeil is it, ibr a Man to chafe father
to be Itif ged tban to (cAkm ; and rainly to contend
Tvteb the Oslamities of haman Lile? Whatever is laid
upon tts by Neceffi^, we ifhould receive genef^oaily :
For it is fodiAi tolftnv^ with what <ve cannot avoid. W^^
SLfe b(Sm i^tsjeds $ aad to obey God is peil^ Libertyr
He that does this, fhall be fite, iafe, and qoiat Ail hi»
A^ons (hall fncceed to bis Wifli; and^whatcttii aay
Man defire moi^^ than to want nothng from #ithoutr
iind to bave all things defif^ble widiSn himftlf ? Plea*
fores do bnt wei^en our Mindti» and fcfnd us fbr odr S\ip*
port to FoTtone^ who gives os Money only as the Wages^
of Slavery. We m^ft ftop <^or Eyis and oor Ears. Ulyfi
Jei iiad bat one ftdcfk td fe», hat hififiao Life has ma-
ny. E?very City, niy, e^ry Man is ohe, and there ia
no truiHng eVen todnmesbtk^ Friends. Deliver me from
the Operation of taking thdlb things which are light
and vain, for Felidties.

CHAP. XII.
Avarici and Jmbitm an infat'mbU and rtftUfs.

TH E Man that would be truely rich, moft not hv- .
creafe his Fortune, bat retrench his Appetite \
F4wr Riches a^ not only fuperfluous, but mean, and little
more 10 the FofTeiTor, than to tbe Looktr*on. What is
the Epd of Ambition, and Avarice ; when at beft, we
are but Stewards of what we ifalily call our own? All
thofe things vvhich we purfue witli fo much Hazard, and »
Expence of Blood, as well to keep, as to get ; for whkrh
we break Faith, and Friendihip : what4irc they, but the
mere D^pefifa.oi Fortype ? .and not ours, but already
inclined toward a new Mafter. - There is nothing our
own, but that which we give to ourfelves $ and of which
we have a certain, and an inexpongable Poffeifion.. A-
varice is fo infatiaWe, that it is not in the Power of Li^
berality to content it : And our X>efires are fo boundlefs,
that whatever w^ get. is but in the way to getting more-
without end : And fo long .as we are folicitous for the

ts6 . S k N & C A Chap.XIL

Tncreafe of Wealth, we lofe the trae Ufe of it ; imd fytod
QurTime in patting out, calling in« and pafling oor Ac* .
counts, without any Aibftantial Boiefit, either to the
World or to oorfelvee. What is the Difference betwixt
old Men and Children ? The one cries for Nuts and
Apples, and the other for Gold and Silrcr. The one
fets up Courts of Juftice ; hears and determines ; acquits
and condemns in Jed ; and the other in Earneft : the
one makes Houfes of Clay, and the other of Marble :
fo that the Works of old Men are nothing in the World
but the ProgreTs and In^provement of Cbudrens Errors :
and they ar^ to be admoniihed, and puniihed too like
Children ; not in Revenge for Injuries received, bat as
a Corre^ion of Injuries done, and to make them givis
over. There is (ome Subftance yet in Gold and^ Silver ;
but as to Judgments and Statutes? Procuration, and
Countenance Money,. thefe are only the V.iiions, and
Dreams of Avarke. Throw a Craft of Bread to a Dog,
he takes it open-mouthed, fwallows it whole, and pre- .
iently gapes for more : Juft fo do we with the Gifts of
Fortune ; down they go without chewing ; and we are '
immediately ready for another Chop* JBat what has A-
varice now to do with Gold, and Silver, that is (b much
oat-done by Curiofities of a fdr greater Value f Let m no
longer complain, that there was not a heavier Loa^ laid
upon thofe precious Metab ; or that they were not bu-
ried deep enough ; when we have found out ways by
Wax and Parchments, and by bloody ufurous Contradb,
to undo one another. It is remarkable, that Providence
has given us all things for our Advantage near at hand :
but Iron, Gold and S;lv^r, (being both the inftroments
of Blood and Slaughter, and the Price of it) Nature has
hidden in the Bowels of the Earth.

There is no Avarice without fome * Punifhment,
^ J . over and above that which it is to itfelf.

•f T///*" How miferable is it in the Defire ? How
mj^es ttjeij. miferable even in the attaining of our
Ends ? For Money is a greater Torment in the PoficC-
fion, than it is In the Purfuit. The Fear of lofing it is a
great Trouble, the Lofs of it a greater, and it is made
a greater yet by Opinion. Nay, eVen in the Cafe of no
direct laoA at al), the covetous Man lo^ what he 4Mt

r

C!iap.XII. Of A HAPPy LIFE. 137

not get. It is true*' the People call the rich Man a happf

Man, and wilh themfelves in his Condition ; bur» caa

any Condition b^ worfe than that, which canies Vex*

ation and Envy along with it ? Neither is any Man to

boaft of hi» Fortaoe ; his Herds of Cattle ; his Number

of Slaves ; his Lands and Palaces ; for, comparing that

which he has» to that which he farther covets, he is a

^^ggar. No Man can poflefs all Things, but any Man

may contemn them, and the Contempt of Riches is the

neareft way to the gaining of them.

Some Magifirates are made for • Money, and thofe
commonly are 'bribed with Money. « .^ > u
We are all turned Merchants, and ^^"^ '^^ ''"'
look not into the Quality of Things, but into the Price
of them ; for Reward we are pious, and for Reward
again we are impious. We are honed, fo long as we
iDay thrive upon it ; but if the Devil himfelf give better
Wages, we change our Party. Our Parents have train-
ed us up into Admiration of Gold and Silver; and
the Love of it is grown up with us to that Degree, that
when we (hould fhew our Gratitude to Heaven, we
^aice Prefents of (hefe Metals. This it is that makes Po-
verty look like a Curie, and a Reproach, and the Poets
help it forward ; the Chariot of the Sun mufl be all of
Gold ; the beft of Times mufl be the golden Aee ; and
thus they turn the greateft Mifery of Mankind into the
greateft fileifings.

Neither does Avarice make us f only unhappy in oar«
/Vlves, but malevolent alfo to Mankind. . >r . t
The Soldier wiihes for War; the Huf- t ^^rte^ '^^
handman would have hisCorn dear; the *" \,^%''^,f^
Lawyer prays for Di/Tention; thePhyfi- ^'^^^'^P^^^^
cian for a iickly Year ; he that deals in Curiofities, for Lu7c«
ury and Excels ; at)d makes up his Fortunes out of the
Corruptions of the Age. High Winds and public Confla-
grations maice Work for the Carpenter, and Bricklayer 1
and one Man lives by the Lof^ of another ; fbmtf few, per-
haps, have the Fortune to be detedled, but they are all
wicked alike. A great Plague makes Worlf for the Sex;
ton ; and, in one Word, whoever gains by the Dead, has not
much Kindnefs for the Living. Demades o^Atbem condemn^
ed a Fellow that fold NecefZaries for Funerals, upon Proof.

that he wiilied to make himfelf a' Forttine by his Thwfc,
which could not be but by i. great Wtertaljtf . Bnt perhaps
he did not (o much rfcfue to have rfiauy Cuftoxnets, $s
to fell dear, and' buy cheap; befides that atll of that
l^rade might have bpen condemned as well as he. What-
foeveir whets ouf. Appetite's, fla(ti;rs an*d dtprei&$ the
Mmd,. and by dilating it, weakcfls it; ftrft bioivhig it
up, and then filling and deluding it wltb Vanity,

To proceed now from the tttoft proffrtmc of all
• Tl^ r J Vices, Senfuality and Avaifce, to that'

; TJ f- generous, theThifftof Glory ♦antJDo*

Wealth and Honour, could but look into the Hearts of
them that have already gained thefe Points : How would
it ilartle them to fee thofe hideous Cares and Crrmej
*that wait Upon ambitious Gfeatdefs f All thofe Acqai*
fitions that dazzle the Eyes of the Vufgar, are but hAfB
f leafures, flippery, and uncfftairf. I'hey arc atchieved
with Labour, and the very Guard of diem, is paonfuh
Anibition puiFs us op wi:h Vanity and Wind ; and^'c
are equally troubled, eithef to fee atty Body before i»»
or no Body behind us; fo tbat we lie uiider a doi&le
Envjr; for whefoever envies another, is. alfb <fnvicd him*
felf. What matters it how f^ -^/^Afii«4fer extended hit
Conquefts, if he was not yet fMisfied-with wliathchad?*
livery Man wants as much as he covets j and, it is loft
Labour to pour into a VelTcl that will never be full. He
tt)at ^at flAidued fo many Prince;, and N}Sttions, opoa
the killiftg of €/ytks (one Friend) antlthfe Lofs of
hitphtfiion (another), delivered himfeff up' to Anger and
Sadnefs } and when he was Mailer of the World, he was
yeta Slave to his Paflions. Look into C^ruz^ Camh^fis^
and the whole Perfian Line, ^ you ftiall not fitid fo
inuch as one Man of them that died fatisfied with what
hfi had gotten. Ambition afpires ^om git^t Things
tf> greater, and propounds Matters ever impoffible,
when it has once arrived at things beyond Expeflation.
It h a kind of Dropfy ; the alofe a M^n drifiks, the
more he covets* Let any Mart hut obfervfe thie Tu- '
mults and the Crowds that attend Palaces ; what Af* *
fronts maft we endure to be aidmictbd; and faoiv mnefar

Cbap.Xrr. Of A HAPPY LIFE. ij^

»

Issuer when w6 are in? The I^aflage to Virtue is
feir, but the Way to Greatneis is craggy, and it {land#
Qot only upon a Precipice, bat upon Ice too ; and yet it
is a hard Matter to convince a great Man that kis Station
is flippery, or to prevail with him not to 'depeacl vpon.
hisGreatnefs; but all Superfluities are hurtfni. A rank
Crop lays the Cprn ; too great a Burden of Fruit breaks
the Bough ; and our Minds may be as well over-charged
with an immoderate Happihefs. Nay, though we our-
felves would be at Reft, our Fortune will not fufier it :
The Way that leads to Honour and Riches, leads to
Trouble; and we find the Caufes of our Sorrows in the.
very Objeds of our Delights, What Joy is there io^
Feading and J^qxury, in Ambition and a Crowd of Cli-
ents ; in the Arms of a Miftfefs, or in the Vanity of an
unprofitable Knowledge ? TheTe fliort and falfe Pleafures
deceive us ; and, like Drunkenne(s, Revenge the jolly.
Madnefs of cne Hour, with the naofeous and fad Reperi-
tance^of mavy* Ambition is like a Gulph, every thing is
fwallowed up in it, and baried ; befide the ciangerous^
Confequences of it : For^ that which one has taken from
all, diay be eailly taken away again by all, from one. It
was not either Virtue, < or Reaion, but the mad Love of,
a deceitful Greatnefs, that animated ^P^jgi/^ in his Wars^
e'ther abroad or at hqme» What was it but his Ambi-
tion that hurried him to Spah, Africa^ and dfewhere^
when he wa$ too great already in ^vtiy Body's Opinion^
but his own ? And (he fame Motive had Jultm C^fatj^
who ccjuld ndt, even then, brook; a Superior to himielf»
when thjs Commonwealth had fubmitted ,unto two al*
ready. Nor was it any Inftindt of Virtue that pulhed
on marius, who, at.the Head of an Armyj was himfelf
led oh under the Command of Ambition ; but he came'
at la'ft to' the deferved Fate of other wicked Men, and to
driuk himfelf oT the fame Cup that he had filled to others*
We impo^ upon Ojir Reaibn, when we fiiiFer ourfelves
to be tranlported with Titles; for, we know, that they
are nothing bota more gloVious Sound : and fo for Orna-'
men'ts, and Gildtngs, thougli there may be a Lnfire to
dazzle our Eyes, our Underftanding tells us yet, that it
is only Outfide, and that the Matter under it is onl^
coarfe and common*

140 S £ N E C A Gha{>.XIL

I will never env.y * thofe, that the People call great
* Af 7 ib ^^^ happy. A (bund Mind is not to
tbcf P^tl th't ^ ^s*^^** With a popahfy and vain Ap-
tii* w u ^ plaufc; nor is it in the Power of their
w world flr. p^j^^ todifturb the State of our Happi-

^^* a-days by the Duft he raifes upon the

Way, and it is become a Point of Honour to over-rua
all People, and keep at a Diftance-; though he that is
put oat of the Way, may perchance be happier than he
that takes it. .He that would exercife a Po\ver profitable
to himfelf. and grievous to no Body t\(^i kt hini prac-
tife it upon his rafiions. They that have burnt Cities,
otherwi(e invincible, driven Armies before theni, an^
bathed themfclves in human Blood ; after that they have
overcome all open Enemies* they have been vanquifhed
by their Lull, by their Cruelty, and wiihoat any Re-
fiilanc^. JUxottder was poflcfled with the Madne(s of lay-
ing'Kingdoms waAe. He began with Grtect^ whe^ ke was
brought up I and there be quarried himfcif upon that
in it which was beft ; he enflaved lactdtm'm^ and filen-
ced Athmi : Nor was he content with the Deftru£lioi> of
thofc Towns, which his Father PJ!fiIip had either con-
quered or bought ; but he made himfelf the Enemy of
human Nature; and| like the worH of fieails, he worried
what he could not eat. Felicity is an unquiet thing ;
it torments itfelf, and puzzles the Brain. It makes fbme.
People ambitious, othjcrs luxurious ; it puffs up foroe«
and foftens others ; only (as it is with Wine) fome Heads
bear it better than others ; but it dilTolves all^ Great-
ncfs (lands upon a Precipice ; and if Profperity carries
a A^an never To little beyond his Poife, it over-bears and
dalhes him to Pieces. It is a rare thing for a Man in a
great Fortune, to lay down his Happinefs gently ; it
being a common Fate, for a. Man to itiik under the
Weight of thofe Felicities, that raife him. How many
of the Nobility did Mariui bring down to Herdfmen,
«nd other mean Offices ? Nay In the very Moment of
cor defpifing Servants, we may be made fb ourfelves.

aap,XnL Of A HAPPY LIFE. 141

CHAP. xnr.

Hope and Fear are the Bane of human Life.

NO Man can be &Id to beperfe^y Hapjy, that runt
the Rifk of Diiappointment ; which » the Cafe
cf every Man thsLtfiart or ^ofet for any thing. For Hm
wad Pear, bow diftant foever they may ieem to be the
one from the other* they are both of them yet coupled
in the £une Chaiov as the Guard and the Priibner ; ahd
the one treiadi upon the Hfel of the other. The Reafon
of this Is obvious, for thc^ are PaSon^ that look forward,
4»d are very folicitoas for the Future ; only Hepe is the
more plauiible Weaknefs of the two ; which in Truth,
npon the main, are inseparable, for the one cannot be
without the other ; but where the Hope is ftronger than
the FeoTt or the Fear than the Htpe^ we call it the one
tnr the other : For, without Fear, it were no longer Hope,
tiot Certaimty ; as without Hvpe^ it were no longer Fear,
but Def^ir. We may oome to underftand, whether
our Difpates are vain, or no, if we do but confider, that
we are either troubled about the Frefent, the Future, or
Beth. If the Prefen^ it is cafy to judge ; and the Fu-
ture is uncertain. It is a foolifli thing to be miferable
. before-handy for Fear of Miiery to come ; for a Man
lofes the Preieat which he might enjoy, in Expedation
^f the Future : Hay, die Fear of lofing any thing is as
bod as the Ix>fs itfelf. I will be as prudent as 1 can,
but not timorous, or cateleis: i^nd I will bethink
■lyfelf, and ibiecaft what Inconveniencies may happen,
befim they come. It is true, a Man may fear, and
yet not be fearful ; which is no more, than to have the
AHe^bn of Fear, without the Vice of iti but yet a
fteqiuent Admittance of it run) into a Habit. - It is a
ftameful nd an unmanly thing to be doubtful, timorous
and uncertain^ to fet one Step forward, and another
backwiird s and to be irrefelute. Can there be ^ny Man
fe fearful, that had not sather fall once, than hang ^
m9fi ti| fofpencc ?

142 6 E -N E C A ciup.Xia

• n^r mr^h^ Our • Miferics arc cndlefs. if wc
. r }i!cr if «««* ^a fw of- att Poffibiliues ; the

^I'f'^^ QMt one Nail with anotber, and a Kttlc

ftrve ta palliate a Misfortune, though not to cure it*
These is aoc any thing we fccvt yvbs^ ia <ib certain 4o
come, as it is oeitain t£ac mwif ihiogs which wt do fear
wHl not come ; but we ^ce loth to oppofe oar Csednlity
when itfac^in^ lo move ua». and ^ to bring-our Fear to
4the TeiL Wdl ! but, H^tiftbi rinmgs n^fimrftttM
come id pa/s'f. PerhafM It willrbe the better for us. ^up«
fok it to ^ .DioUf it&tfy Why may k net pmve &
Glory of iDf<I;ifef DidnotPoikBnutkeS«r/«te/fm»Ott5f
iAnd was not J^ata*5 Sword a great Fmh q£ his Honoar /
Dgfwe /ear any Mi^i^ne to hjfkdut? Wfi are not
prefently iiire that it will ha|Kp«i. ilow Admy Detiwor-
, anoes liaxe 4:0016 u^looked for } And how many Bdif-
chieft that .we Jook^ for* hiKKe neier come tofi^s? It
is time enough to lament when it comely and in the h*
urim to promife ourfelvc^ thebeft. ; What da I know
but Awie^Dg or other may delay ot Alivert it ? ^uae
have.e(caped out of the Fire; others, when a Houfe
.has fallen over their Head, have received no Hart : Qae
li^n^has been ikued when a Sword was at his Throat;
Another has been condemned, and. outili»ed>his Headf-
man : Sb that ill Fortune, we iee, as weU as good, has
her Levities : Feradventute it. will be, peradvsenture not;
and uBtil it cofoes to pa&, we are nol fure of it : We
do many times ^ take Worda in a worfe^Senfethan thiy
weiae intended, and im^^tne. Things to be worfe* taken
than they are. It is time enoi^h tobsariaMisforiiae
when it comes, without anticipating ic * . * < v
Ha that would deliver himfelf from allAppaBfaen€nf)s
4. p ^A ^ /* ®^ *^ f future, let iim 4f^ aAx^Sdx
X ^^T^*^ gnwted,4hatallFea«»jswlti&ll iq>OK.-hiia;
tfj§ linrji, ^^ ^^ examine and -meafiire the &i!

that he ^ears, which he will 'find to b^ neither greail^ nor
iong. fiefide, that the Ills which he'fears h/t^mwf liAr,
he tmrsin the very Fear of theot. i^s in the S37raptoms
of an approaching Difeafe, a Man {hall inct himfelf lazy
and liftlefs ; a Wearinefs in his Limbs^ with a Yawning

'

Ckap.Xin, Of A HAPPY LJFE. 1^3

zxid Sbiiddi^ring all ev^r him : So it is in tlie Cafe of a
weak Mind ; it fancies Misfortunes, and makes a Maa
wretched before his time. Why ihodd 1 tornMftt my-
f^f at pfefent, with what perhaps may fall out fifty Veari
hence ? This Humour is a kind of voluntary Difeaie,
aad an indudrious Contrivance of our own UnhappiBC^*
to complain of an Affiidlion that we do not- fecL SooMi
are not only moved with Qrief itfelf, but with the mvre
Opinion of it; as Children will Hart at a Shadow, or at
the 'Sight of a deformed Perfoij. If we-ftaiid infeftr of
Violence from a pov^'erful, Enemy, it is feme Comlbrt to
usy^ that vyhofoev^r ma^es biiQlidf terrible to others, it
|iot withoot Fear himfelf : Thj6 leaft Noife mak«sa Lion
ilart; and t;he fiercellJeaHs, wha^ibever eitrages tli6»»
niakes &em tremble top : A Shadow^ a Voice, an or*
u&i^ Odor, rqufes them.
Thb Thipg^ molt to be feared I take to be three-

JOnds. • Wanu Sickne/s, and thpfe # ^, -,
ViQlences that may he impofed upon us ^ /^ . \ ^^j
by a A,«^ HanJ: The faft of thefe has '^J^f^^/^<f
the greateft Force, becaufe it comes at- ^r^t'^

tended with Noife and Tumult : Where- -v'»-^«'^^y-
as the Incommodities of Poverty andj^'p^' ST-^^*
Difeafes are moft natui^l. and fteal upon '" ^w^.
us in Silence, withoat any exteonal Circumftances of
.Horror ; hpt \^p other marches in Pomp, with Fire, and
Sword, Gibbets, Racks, Hoeksf wild SeftftatadeVoar
tts ; Stiikes toempalp i^ ; £agines to tear i»/to Pieces ;
pitched Bags to bum us in, and a thousand other ex-
^oi&ie ;b^^t«op8.,^ Q^ty*' No wonder Jth«Q, lU^^t
be iooiltd^wdftd tP Kfy tfeait, . ^x^^m «rejlf in Sp i^oy
juacQUth Sh^pas ; ^^hjtj^e very Solem'nicy «' tendered
th^ mioil !AMrmi^t)k* • 7^e more Ipllrument;« of boAny
-im jhe. Edmu^vfiT Q^^ a?, the metre fn|htfal J\e
^Kake^ Usiftlf : tF^i;, oHIf^rfi^aa that would h?ive ew-
«<39iWfip^ IiWkM.9ny genaiQus' Formi with Rpfolfl.
lion enoughs M Jft ove^o^^ with the iU^mr of it.
As for the, CAkmiM«»t<^ Hunger, a^vd Tbirft, iaward
Ulcers, i^rching Feivers, -tormenting Fits of tje Storip,. I
^ook.opon th.e/eMiffrie^tp be at leait as grievous ^s an^
of the rejft;: Q«ly. ihey do not fo-much afteil .the Fancy,
b«a»fe tkey ji^ putpf jSSgJir, Some People t^k high 0f

144 SENECA Chap. MV^.

Dsngen at a Difiance ; bat (lyce Cowards) when the Bx«
ccutioDcr comes to do bis Doty, and (hews os the Firt^
the Ax, the Scafibld» and Death at hand, their Courage
ftils them upoa tiie very Pinch, when they have moft
need of it. Sicknefs, (I hope) Captivity, Fire, are no
•ew things to us; tlie Falls of Houies, Funerals, and
Conflagtations, are every Day before our Eyes. The
Man that 1 Topped »ith laft hfight is dead before Morn-
ing ; why fliould I wonder then, feeing, fo many fall a«
bout nie, to be hit at laft myfMz ^ Wkit can be greater
MadneG than to cry out» A^^t 'wouU bavi dreanud of
tins ? And why not, \ befeech you ? Where is that
Eftate that may not be reduced to oeggary ; that Dignity
which may not be foUowcd with Banifhnient, Dilgrace,
and extreme Coo.tempt ; that Kingdom diat may not
fuddenly &U to Rain ; diange its Mafter and be depopu-
lated ; that Prince that may not pais the Hand of a com-
mon Hangman ? That which \% one Man's Fortune, may
be anodier's ; but the Forefight of Cahunides to com^
breaks the Violence of thenu

-r

CHAP. XIV,

// « au9r£ng to tht trtu or falfe EjHmate of
TiingSf thai we art bafpf or mjtrabb.

HOW many things are diere tlmt die Ftoey makes
terrible by Ni^it, wfaidb the Day ivras into ridi-
culous ? What is there in Laboor, ^ in Death, that «
Man Ihoald be afraid of? they are modi fiighter in A)6I,
than in Contemplation ; and, we auijr contemn thein, bat
we will not : So that it is not becaole they are haid, that
we dread them; but they are hard, becaole we are irft
afraid of them. Pains, and other Violenoes 6f Fortune
are the fame thing to tis, that Goblins are to Children :
We are more feared with them, than hart. We take up
our Opinions upon Truft, and err for Company, (1111
judging that to be beft, that has tao& Cbmpetitors. We
make a faiie Calculation of Uatiert» becaufe we advife

k

Chap. XIV. Of A -H A P P Y L t F E^ 14$ .

wkh Opinion, and not with Nature: and this TntHeadi
OS to a higher Efteem for Riches, Honoar, and Power,
than they are worth : We have been uk^ t6 admire, and
recommend them, and a private Brror is <]uiek)y turned
into a public The greai»ft and the fmalieft things are
equally haid to be comprehended ; we account many
things great^ for want of underA^dtng what <^fie6)ual)y
19 {b: And we reckon other things to h&/kcl*j which we
find frequent! jT to be of the higheft Value, V^n Thhigi
only move vain Minds ; ,the Accidents that we fo much
boggle at, are not terrible -in themffeive9, but they are
.made fo by our Infirmities ; but We confolt rather what:
we hear than what we ktX, without txamiAing, opipofthg,
or difcoffiiig Things ^ we. fear ; . fo that we either iland
(UU and trexnbIe,.or elie directly run for it; as thofe
Troops di<i, that upon the Raiiiiffg of the Daft, took a
Flock of Shepp ^r the .£nem^. When the Body and
Mind are corrupted^ it is no Wonder if alt things prove
lotolerabje>; and not becaufe they are (b in Truth, but
becaufe we are diflblute, and foolilh : For, we are infa^
ruated'tb fuch a Degree, that betwixt the common Mad*
nefs of Men, and that which falls under the Care of th«
phyfician, there is but this Difference < the one labours
cf a piieafe, and the other of a falfe Opinion.

The Sficks hold, that all thofe Torments that com- *
inonly draw from us Groans and Ejaculations, are -in
thenifelves Itivialy. and contemptible. But chefe high-
ilown Exprefltons apart, (how true foever) let us div^
courfe the .Point, at the Rate of ordinjury •■ ^

Men, and net make ourielves miferaUe ^ f^^ f\
before our time;, for the things we ap. ^f1' j ^^^^
l>rchend to he at hand, may poffibly ne- ^ *'' ^^^'
ver come to pafs. Southings trouble us more than
they fhould» other '.things fooner; and ibme things
agaia.dirorder us, that ought not to trouble us at all:
So that we either enlarge, or create, or anticipate our
Difquietfl* For the lirll Part, let it reft as a Matter in
Controvcrfy, for that which' i account light, another
perhaps will judge infapporti^ble ; one Man laughs
tinder the Lafti, and another whines for a Fillip. How
fad a Calamity is Poverty to one Man, which to another
appears ratheir defirable, than inconvenient? For the

H

«4< SENECA Chap. XIV%

poer Man who has nothii^ to lofe, has nothing ih feart
And he that would enjoy hmifeif to the Sati^^on of
Ills Son], mail be either pool' indeed, or at leaft look aa
if he were fo. Some People are extremely dcgeded
with Sicknefs, and Pain : Whereas Epicutus hleffed his '
Fate with his laft Breath, in the acutrft Torments of the
Stone. imaginable. And fo for Baniihrnenty which to'
one Man is ib grievous, and. yet to another is no more
than a bare Change of Place : A thing that w« do every
Day for our Health, Pleafure ; nay, and upon the ao
<ount even of common Bufioefe. How terrible is Deadi
to one Man, which to another appears the]gveateft Pro«
vidence in Nature ; even towafetis all Ages^ and Condi*
iions? It is the Wi(h of fome, the Relief of many, and-
the End of al). Jt kXA die Slave at Liberty^ carries thti
)>anifl)ed Man home» and places aii Mortali apon thte.
iame Level ; lB6>mttch that life itfelf were Pimiihmena
without it. When I fee Tyrants, Tortores, Violences*
the ProTped of Death is a Coniblatbn to me, and dui
only Remedy againft the Injuries of Life.

Nay, fo great are our Miftakes in the trne£(limati
4>f Things, that we have hardly done any thing that we
have not nad Reafon to wifh undone ; and we have foond
the things we feared to be more defirable than thofe we

•OtfrawFr^y- J«>^««<^- • Our very Prayers have
• y .^^ been more perniaoas than the C«rfe«

Q / of our Enemies ; and we mnft phty

^^ ^"^ * again to have our former Prayers for*

given. ^ Where is the wife Man that wiilies to him^f
tne Wilhes of his Mother Nurfe; or Tutor ; the worft
of Enemie?, with the Intention of the beft of Friends ?
We are undone if their Prayers be heard ; ^nd it is our
Duty to pray that they may not; for they are no other
than well-meaning Execrations. They take Evil for
Good ; and one Wifh fights with another : Give me ra-
ther the Contempt of allthofe Things whereof diey wifli
me the greateft Plenty. We are equally hurt by fbme
that pray for us, and by others that curfe us : The one
imprints in us a falfe Fear, and the other does us Mif-
chief by a Miiiake. So that it is no Wonder if Mankind
be miferable, when we are brought up from the very
jCradle uoder the Imprecations of our Parents. We pray

4

Cliap.XV. Of' A HAPPYLtFE. 147

for Triftes vvkhotit fo mnch as tbihkJhg of the grcatcft ^
Blefirngti; and wie are not alhamed many times to afk God
for that which we fhoald blulh to own to oar Neighbour,

It is with us, as with an Innocent * that my Father *
had in his Family. She fell blind on « .^
a fadden, and no Body could perfuade Y ''[''^'"''j
iier (he was blind. Sinf could ttirt endure «»^;*''^*^/. ^''^
the Hiiife ((he cried) it <matfp dark, and ?J"'^ "'' ^'^"""^^
was ftill calling to go abroad. That ^ *
which we laughed at in her, we find to be true in cur-
sives : we are covetous and ambitious ; but the World
(hall irever bniig us to acknowledge it, and we impute
it to th^ Place : Nay, we are the wbrfe of the two ; foir
the blind Fool called for a Guide, and we wander about '
without one. It is a hard Matter to cure thofe that
will not believe they arc (ick. We are alhamed to ad-
fliit a Mailer, 'and ^e are too old to learn. Vice ftiil
^oes before Virtue ; lb that we have two Works to do 5
we niuft caft off the one, ami learn the other. By one
Evil we make way to another, and only feek things to be
avoided, or thofe of which we are foon weary. That
which feemed too much when we wiftied for it, proves
too little when we have it ; and it is not as fome imagine,
that Felicity is greedy ; but it is little, an^ narrow, and
cannot fatisfy us. That which we take to be very high -
at a Defiance, we find it to be but low, when we come
at it. And the Bafinefs-is, we do not underftand the
true State of things : We arc deceived by Rumors ;
when we have gained the thing we aimed at, we find it
to be either ill or empty ; or perchance lefs than we ex*
pcft, or otherwi(eYerhap8 ^reat, "but not good.

I ■ » '

CHAP. XV.
7T>e BkJJings »f Tttnperanct and Modtrajilm,

THERE is not any thing t!iat is necefTary to us, but
we have it cheap or gratis ; and this is the Pro-
vifion thfit our heavenly Father has made for us^ whcfc

H z

Cft SENECA Ciap.XV.

Bounty was never wanting to our Needs. It is trae» the
Belly cravesy and calls upon us, but then a foiaU mat«
tner contents it : A little Bread and Water is fuffident*
. and all the reft is fuperflaous. He that lives according
to Reafon, fhall never be poor ; and he that governs
iiis Life by Opiiiion ihall never be rich ; , ibr Nature is
limited, but Fancy isboundlefs. As for Meat, Cloaths,
and Lodging, a little feeds the Body, and as little covers
it ; (b that if Mankind would only attend human Nature,,
without gaping at Superfluities, a Cook would be found
as needlefs as a Soldier : For we may have NeceHaries
upon very eafy Tf rms ; whereas we put ourselves to
great Pains for Excefles. When we are cold, we may
<overourfelves with Skins of Beads; and againfl violent
Heats, we have natural Grotto's ; or with a few Ofiers,
and a little Clay, we may defend ourfelves againft all
^eafbns. Providence has been kinder to us than to leave
«s to live by our Wits, and to (land in need of Invention
and Arts : It is only Pride and Curioiity that involves us
an Difficulties : If nothing will fervc a Man but rich
Cloaths, and Furniture ; Statues, and Plate ; a. numerous
Train of Servants, and the Rarities of all Nations ; it is
jiot Fortune^s Fault, but his own, that he is not fatisfied:
l^or his Deilres are infatiable, and this is not a Thifft,
but a Difeaie ; and if he were Mailer of the whole.
World, he would be dill a Beggar. Jt is the Mind that
makes us rich and happy, in what Condition ibever we
are ; and Money fignifies no more to it than it does to
the Gods : If the ILeligion be iincere, no matter for the
Ornaments : It is only Luxury and Avarice that makes
Poverty grievous to us ; for it is a very fmall Matter that
does our Bufineis ; and when we have provided againft
Cold, Hunger and Thiril, ail the reft is but Vanity and
Excefs : And there is no need of Expence upon foreign
Delicacies, or the Artifices of the Kitchen. What is he
the worfe for Poverty, that dcfpifes thefe things f Nay
is he not rather the better for it, becaufe he is not able
10 go to the Price of them ? For he is kept ibund whe-
ther he will or no : And that which a Man cannot do»
looks many times as if he 'wouU mat.
• ^e MoJfration Wh en I look back into the * Modera-
1^ psfi Jges* tion of paft Ages, it makes me aihamed

Chap, XV. Of A HAPPy LIFE. i^

to difcburfe, as jf Poverty had need of any Confolation ?
for we are nowr come to chat Degree of Intemperance;
that a fair Patrimony is too little for a Meal. Homer had
but one Servant, Plato three; and Zena (the Mafter of -
the mafcaltne Sedt otSto/ch) had none at all. Thiar
Daughters- of 5f //►/<? had their Portion^ ont of thfe com-
mon Trcafary, for their Father left them not worth a
Penny : How happy were their Hufbands that had the
People of Rome for their Father-in- laiv ? Shall any Maa
how contemn Poverty after thefe eminent, ExampTes ^
which arc fufficient not only to joftify, but to recom-
mend it? Upon Diogenes^s only Servant's running away
from him, he was told where he was, and perfuaded t<>
fetch him back again. What, fays he, can Manes live
nvithout Diogenes, ajtd not Diogenes without Manes t
dnd fo let him go. The Piety and Moderation of Scipjo
has macje his Memory more valaable than his Arms ; and
more yet after h$ left his Country, than while he de*
fended it: For Matters were come to that pafs, that either
Seifio mod be injurious to Rome, or Rome to Scipio.
Coarfe Bread and Water, to a temperate Man, is &.4
good as a Feall ; and the very Herbs of the Field yield
a Noanihment to Man, as well as to Beaih. If was not
by choice Meats, and Perfumes, that our Forefathers re-
commended themfelves, but in virtuous Anions, and
the Sweat of honeft, military, and of manly Labours.

While Nature lay in common, and all f her Benefits
were promifcuoufly enjoyed, what could . > , ^ ^
be happier than the State of Mankind, | ^^' ^'"''^ ^-^
when People lived without Avarice, or ^««*^^*^^-
Bnvy f what could be richer, than when there was not
a poor Man to be found in the World. So foon as this
impartial Bounty of Providence came to be retrained,
by Covetoufnefs ; and that Particulars appropriated that
to themfelves which was intended for all ; then did Po-
verty creep into the World ; when fome Men by dcfiring
moire than came to their Share, loft their Title to the
reft. A Lofs never to be repaired ; for though we may
come yet to get much, we o^ce had all. The Fruits of
the &avth were in thofe Days divided among the Inha-
bitants of it, without either Want, or Excefs. So long
aa Men contented themfelves ^ith their Lot, there was

H3

ijo S £ N E C A Chap.X\r.

no Violence;. no ingroffing, ov hiding of thofe Benefits
for particular Advantages, which were appointed for the
Community; but every Man had as much Care for hu
Neighbour, as for hinaielf. No Arms, or Biood|hed i
.no War, but with wild Beads : Uat under theProte^ioa
of a Wood or a CaTe* they.fpent their Bays without
Cares, and their Nights without Groans ; their Innocence
was their Security, and their Protedion. There was as
vet no Beds of State, no Ornaments of Pear], orEm*
broidery, nor any of thofe Remorfes that attend them $
but the Heavens were their Canopy ; and the Glories of
them their Spe^de. The Motioni of the Orbs, the
Courfes of the Stars, and the wonderful Order of Provi*
i^ncct was their Contemplation : There was no fear of
the Houf^ falling, or the RufUing of a Rat behind the
u^rras ; they had no Palaces then like Cities i . but they
had o.pen Air, and Breathing-roooH cryilal Fountains, re«
frefhing Shades, the Meadows dreft up in their native
Beauty, and fuch Cottages as were according to Nature,
and wherein they lived contentedly, without fear either
of loiing orpf falling. Th^fe People lived withouteithey
iloHcitude or Fraud ; and yet I mail call them rather hap-
py, thaa.wife. That Men were generally better before
they were corrupted, than after, I make no doubt i and I
am apt to believe, that tl^ey were both ftronger and bar*
oier too ; but their Wits were not jjet coxnf to MaSority ;
(or Nature does not give Virtue; and it is a kind of Art
to become good : They had not as yet torn op the Bowels
of the Earth for Gold, Silver, and precious Stones; ami*
fo far were thty from killing any M^n, as we da, lor a
Spedade, that^they were not as yet com^ to it, either in
Fear, or Anger; nay, they fpared the very Fifbes. But
after all this, they were innocent, becaufe they were ig«
narant ; and there is a great .Difference betwixt not
knowing how to oiend, and not being willing, to do it.
They had, in that lude Life, certain Images andRefenv-
blances of Virtue, but yet they fell (bortof Virtaeitfelf^
which comes only by Inilitution, Learning, and Study,
as it is perfeded by Practice. It is indeiKl. the £nd for
which we were born, bnt yet it did not come into the
World with us ; and in the beft of Men, before they are
inllruded, we find sather the Matter, and the Seedaof

Chap.XV. Of A HAPPY LIFE. rp

Virtue, than the Virtue hMi. It is the wonderful Be-
i^ignity of Nature that has laid open to us all things thaC .
may do iit good, and only hid thofe things from us that
may hurt ot : As if ihe durft not tr<oft us with Gold, an<l
Silver ; or with Iron, which is the Inftrument of War,
and Conten^on fov the other* It is we purfelves that
have drawn out of t^e Earth, both the tau/es and the
Jbifimmentj of our Dangers : And we are Co vain as to (et
the faigheft £ileeai upon tbofe things to which Nature
has aliened the lowdk Place, What can^be more coarfe-
and rude in the Mine, than thefe precious Metak ; or
more flavilh, and dirty, than the People that dig and
work them? and yet they defile our Minds more than
our Bodies, and make the PofTefibr fouler than the Arti-
icer of them. Rich Men, in fine, are only the greater
hlaves. Both the one and the other wants a great Deal.
Happy is that Man that eats only for Hunger, and
drinks only for Thirfl ; that (lands upon .
his own Legs, and4ivcs by Reafon, not # y'^* ^r ^
by Example; and provides for Ufe and »'.yf " ^ ^'^^
Neceffity, not for Oftcntation and Pomp. ^^*
Let us curb our Appetites, encourage Virtue, and rather
be bdi(^den to ourfclves for Riches than to Fortune,
u/ho when a Man draws himfelf into a narrow Compafs,
has the lead Mark at him. Let my Bed be plain and -
dean, and my Cloaths fo too; my Meat without muchr
Expence, or many Waters ; and neither a Burden to my
Furfe, nor to my Body ; nor to eo out the fame way it
came in. That which is too litdo for Luxury, is abun*
dantly ettoagh for Nature. The End of Eating and
Drinking is Satiety ; now, what matters it though one
cats and drinks more, and another lefs, fo long as th#
one is not a-hnngry, nor the other a*thirft } Epkurus^
that limits Pleafore to Nature, as the Stoichs do Virtue, is
undoubtedly in the Right \, and thofe that cite him to
authorize their Voloptuoufnefs* do exceedingly mitlake
him, and only feek a good Authority for an evil Caufe :
For their Pleafnres of Sloth, Gluttony, and Luft, have ho
AfEaity at all wkh his Precepts or Meaning. It-is true,
that at irft fight his Philofdphy feems efFeminate ; but
be that looks nearer him, will find him to be a verjr
bmve IftaBj only in a womanifii Ihtk.

H +

152 SENECA Cha^.XV;

It is icommpn Obje£tion^ I know»^ that tbefe Pln-

• / tPhl f lo^P^^'^^ ^^ "^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Vi^Kt they talk ;

, ' .. ' ^^' for they can flatter their Superiois, gather

{. '" 'T ^' Eftatcs, and be as moch concerned at the

tbt) ttacb. ^^^^ ^^ Fortune, or of Friends, as other

People : As ienftble of Reproaches, as luxurious in their
Eating and Drinking, their Furniture, their Hcmfes \ as
magnificent in their Plate* Servants, and Officers ; as
profufe, and curious in their Gardens, &r. Well ! And
what of all this, or if it were twenty times more ? Jt is
ibme Degree of Virtue for « Man to condemn himfelf ;
and if he cannot come up to the beift, to be yet better
than the word \ and if he cannot wholly fubdue his Ap-
petites, however to check, and diminifh them. If I do
not live as I preach ; take notice that 1 do not fpeak of
myfeif, but of Virtue ; nor am I fo much offended with
other Mens Vjces, as with my own. All this was
objeded to PlatQ^ Epicurus^ Zeno : Nor is any Virtue (b
facred, as'to efcape Malevolence. The Cynique Derngtriu^
was a great Inftance of Severity and Mortification ; and
one that impofed upon himfeif, neither to poilefs any
thing, nor fo much as to aik it : And yet he had this
Scoff put upon him, that his Profeflion was Povertj^ not
Vtrtui. P/ato is blamed for a/ktng Money } ArifiotU
for refetvijtgii', Democritus for negleSingiti Eficurits
for cti^fumiag it. How happy were we, if we could but
come to imitate thefe Mens Vices ; for if we knew oar
own Condition, we ihould find work enough at home*
But, we are like People that aremakingn^eiryat a Play,
or a Tavern ; when their own Houfes are on fire, and
yet they know nothing of it. Nay, Cato himfelf was
iaid to be a Drunkard; but Drunkeum/s itfelf fhall
fuoner be proved to be no Crime than Catt diihonefi.
They that demoliih Temples and overturn Altars, fhev^ .
their good Will, though they can do the Gods no Hurt ;
and fo it fares with thofe. that invade the Reputation of
great Men. IFthe Profeilbrs of Virtue be as the World
tails them, avaricious, libidinous, ambitious ; what are
they then that have a Deteftation for the vtry Name of
it ? But malicious Natures do not want Wit to abufe
l.oneiter Men than themfelves. Jt i». the PradUce of the *,

Maiii;uie, to bark at eminent Men, as little D<^a do a

Chap. XV. Of A HAPPY LIFE. »jj

- •

o Strangers; for they look opon other Mens Virtues as

^ . the upbraiding of their own Wickednefs. ' We ihould

do well to commend tbofe that are good ; if not, let us
pafs them over ; but however let as fpare ourfelves ; for.
befide the Blafpheming of Virtue, our Rage is to no
purpofe. But to return to my Text.

Wb are ready enough tb limit other», but loth to paS
Bounds and Reilraint upon ourfehres i j. - i ^

though we know that many times a ^ 'L/v ^
greater Evil is cured by a lefs ; and the PrfU'^f^t^-
Mind that will not bi brought to Virtue ^'^> '• ^^'^O'*
by Precepts, comes to it frequently by Neceflity. LetuA
try a little to eat upon a Joint Stool ; to krvt ourfelves i
to live within Compais, and accommodate oor Cloaths to>
the End they were made for* Occaiional Experiments
of our Moderatioi^ give us the bed Proof of our Firm-
nefs and Vktoe. A well-governed Appetite is a great
• part of Liberty ; and it is a bleifed Lpt, that fmceno*
Man cati have ail things that he would have, we may all
of us forbesn' defiring what we have not. It is the Oiike
oi Temperance ta over- rale os in our Pleafures : Some
ibe pejeds, others (he qualifies, and keeps within Bounds :
Oh ! the Dettghts of Ref):, when a Man comes to be
weary ; and or Nfeat, when he is heartily hungry I £
have leartied (fays our Author) by one Journey, ho^
many things we have that are fuperfluousy and how eafil/
they may be fparpd ; for, when we ave without them,'
opon NejceHity, we do not fo much as feel the Want of
them. This is the fecond blcffed Day (fays he), that my
Friend and I have travelled together : One Waggon car«
ties ourfelves, and our Servants ; n>y Mactrefs lies upoi¥
the Ground, and 1 upon that : Our Diet anfwerable to
our Lodging ; and never without our Figs and cur Table*
Books. The Muletier without Shoes, and the Mules
only prove themfelves alive by their Walking. In thia*
Equipage, I am not willing, 1 perceive, to own my(e)f,
but as often- as we happen- inta better Company, I pre«
iendy fall a bluAiing^ , which (hews, that 1 am not yer
confirmed in thofe things which I approve andcomVnend :'
1 am not yet come to own my Froigality ;l for he (hat is
afhamed to be feenin a mean Condition, would be prottd<
of a fblendid one» Tvidue m> feif upon what Pafiengers*

»j4 . SENECA C!«p.XV.

•

l)iink of me, and tacidy renQunce my Principles ; wbene*
fs I ihoald rather lift up my Voice to be heard by Man-
kiiidi and t^ll them, T^uariall mad\ your Minds anf
Jiif upon Saptrfiititiesy And. you »al$is noMan /irFirtmt i
J came one Night* we^ry home» and threw myfelf upon
the Bed, with this Confideratioo about me : Thert is no*
thing ill that is 'well taken. My Baker tells me, he has
no Bread ; but, fays hei I may get ibmeof yoor Tenants*
though I fear it is not good. No matter^ faid !» for I
wil' day until it be better; that is to fity, until my Sto-
mach will be glad of worfe. It is Difcretion fomctimes
«o praftife Temperance, audufe our&lves to a little ; for
there are many Difficulties both of Time and Place* that
jiiay force us upon it : Wben we come to the Matter <^
Vatrimony ; how ilridly do we examine what Cftij
Man is worth, befia»« we will trnft him with a Penny I
Suib a Man 9 we cry, ba$ a great Eftate^ hmt it isfitnnnim^
U incumbered ; a very fair Hcffi, but it nveu built nnith
porrowed Money $ a Mumer$»s Famjfy» but be d»es not keep
*l9kch infiih Us Creditors; if his Debts nsure paidy he
<u)Quid not be ivorth a Groat» Why do we not take the
fame Courfe in other things, and examine what every
Man is worth I It is not enough to have a long Train
of Attendants, vaft.Pofleffions, or an incredible Treafare
in Money, and Jewels ; a Man may be poor for all diis.
There is only this Difference at beft ; one Man borrows
of the U/urtTy and the other of Fortune. What fignifiesl
the Carving or Gilding of the Chariot; is the MafteY
ever the better for it ?

. Ws cannot clofe up this Chapter with a more gene*
• tru ji/r J ^^^' * InHance of Moderation than that

. ^^'^ f^^'''''' ofFabriaits. Pirrri^w tempted him With
ttonandBra-ve^ a Sum of Money to betray his Country^j
Tj c/ rabricius. ^^^ p^^^^^^ jj.^ Phyfician ofiei«d Fabri.
*iust for a Sum of Money, to poifon his Mafter: But
be was too brave, either to be overcome by Gold, or to
overcome by Poifon ; ib that he refofed the Money, and
advifed Pyrrhus to have a Care of Treachery; and
this in the Heat too of a licentious War : Fabricius valitw
ed himfelf upon his Poverty, and was as much above
the Thought of Riches^ as of Ptifan. Live, ' PyrrhiiSf
iays he, by my Frientf/hip ; and iura that t» thy ^tk^

CUp.tn. Of A HAPPY tiFE. 155

fhfrSUth 'vMth was liffre tbf TrdubU, thai is t$ faf^
ihai Fabricittt €9Mid not h corrupted.

CHAP. XVI.

t^onflancyi of Mind pves a Man Reputation^ and
main Urn happy tn defpite of all Miiforttmis*

THE whole Duty of Man may be reduced to the
two Points of Mjlinittce^ and Patience i Tempe^
ranct in Pr'/perity, and Courage in Adverfity^ We have
already treated of the former ; and the other follows
bow incourfe.

EPTCURUS will hav,c it, that a • wife Man wiU
ifar all Injuries : but the Sioicks will not # ^ -r %m
allow' thbfe thingsto be Imuries, which f '^'J',^^ ''
£//W«. calls fo Now,'betvyixt ,Ji,,/, ^^^^ ^'V^rus^
tive^ there is the fame DiiTerence that we find betwixi
two Gladiators \ the one receives Wounds, .but yet
tnaintains his Ground \ the other telU the People, when
he is in Blood, Th^t it it hut a Seratcbf and will not
fufFerany Body to part them. An /«/i/rf cannot be re-
€ei*veJf but it mull be done: But it may be done^ and yet
not rece I ved 'a as a Man may be in the Water, and not
fwin:v> but if he Avims, it is prefumed that he is in the
Water. Or if a B?ow, or a Shot be levelled at us, it may
fo happen that a Man may mifs his Aim, or fome Ac-
-cident interpofe that may divert the Mifchief. That
which is hurt, is paffive, ^nd inferior to that which hurts
it ; but yoi) will fay that Socrates was condemned, and
put to Death, and fo received an Injury ; but I anfwer^
that the Tyrants did him an Injury, and yet he receimd
none. He ,that deals any thing from m^, and hides it in
my own Hbufe ; though I have not loft it, yet he has
ftolcn it. He that lies with his own Wife, and takes her
for another Woman ; though the Woman be honeft, th^
Man is an Adulterer. . Suppofe a Man give^ me a
Draught of Poifon, and it proves not ftrong enough to
kill me 2 his Guilt is never the left for the Difappoint*

H 6

156 SENECA Chap.XVl.

i^ktiU He th«t makes a P^ at me» is as nrach a Morv
cTerer, though I put i( by, as if he firuck me to the Heart*
It is the Intention, not the EfFe^t, that makes the Wick-
ednefi. He is a Miirderer that ha$ the Will of Killing,'
and Slaying, before his Hand is dipt in Blood : As it is
Sacrilege, the very Intention of layit\g violent Hands
upon holy Things. If a Philoibpher be expoied to Tor-
ments, the Ax over his Head, his Body woonded, hia
Guts in his Hands, I will allow him to groan ; for Vir-
tue itfelf cannot divefl.him of the Nature of Mas ; bat
if his Mind (land firm, he has difcharged his Part. A great
Mind enables a Man to maintain his Station with Hoi>*
nour ; fo that he only makes Ufe of what he meets in hiV
way, as a Pilgrim that would fain be at his Tourney's End.
^ It is the Excellency of a great Mmd to afi no-
^ J t Ml J ^^^"S> ^"^ ^^ want nothing ; and to

• l7^^ A ^*y» -^w;// hanfe nothing to do *with

neither ajkt ^ny ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^ ^^^^^

thng mrn^antt y^^^.^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ his Hold,
^v "i' and accounts any thio^ good that ip

not honcft» runs gaping after Cafaalties, ipends his Days
In Anxiety, and vain Expedlation : That Man is mife-
Table And yet it is hard, you will fay. to be baniihed.
m caft into Pjifon ; nay, what if it were to be burnr, or
any othe^r way deilroyed ? We have Examples in all
Ages, and in all Cafes, of great Men that have triumphed
over all Misfortunes. Metellus fUfFered ExiU refolutely i
Ruiilitis chcarf uUy. Socrates difputed in the Dungeon,
and though he might have made bis Eicape, refufed it ;
to (hew the World how eafy a thing it was to fubdue the
two great Terrors of Mankind^ Death, and a JaiL Or
what ihall we fay of Mucins Scavofa ; a Man only of
xnjliury Courage, and without the Help either of Phi*
Ty^phy or.lietter8 i Who, when he found that he had
killed the Secretary, inftead of Parfenna (the Prince)
burned his right Hand to Afhes for the Miftake^ and
held his Arm in the Flame; until it was taken away by
his very Enemies. Por/tnna did more eafily pardoa
Mucins for hs Intent to kill him, than Mucins torgSLve
h/m/e/ffor miffing of his Aim. hfc might have done a
luckier thing, but never a braver^

Ckap.XVL Of A HAPPY LIFE. 157

D'lo not Ci/5, in the laft Night of his* Life, taker
P/^« to Bed with him; with his Sword « p,.^«. r
at his BedVhcad ; the one, that he might ^ ^^^ * ^''**
have Death at his Will 5 the other, that >'''*^-
he m^ht have it in his Power ; being reiblved that no
Man Sibuld be able to fay, either that he killed, or
that he faved Cato ? So foon as he had tompoied hi»
ThoQghtSy he took his Sword ; F^rtune^ fays he, / have
biibert^ fought for my Countrft Libirty^ mutfor m 9vn^
and only that I might ihvi free ammtg Freemen ; Int the
Cam/e is now hft^ and Cato fafe. With that Word he
caft himfelf upon his Sword ; and after the Phyiiciansg
that prefied in npon him, had bound up his' Wounds
he tore it open again, and fo expired with the fame
Greatnefs of Soul that he lived. But thefe are the Ex-
amples, you will fay, of Men famous in their Genera*
tion. Let as but confult Hiftory, and we fhall find, even
in the moft effeminate of Nations^ and the moft diflblute
of Times, Men of all Degrees, Ages and Fortones ; nay^
even Women themfelves,* that have overcome the Fear
of Death : Which, in truth, is fo little to be feared, that
duly confidered, it is one of the greateft Benefits in Na*
ture. li was as great an Honour for Cato^ when his Par«
ty was brdcen, that he himfelf flood his Ground* as it
would have been if he had carried the Day, and fettled
an univerfal Peate: For» it is an equal Prudence, ta.
make the heft of a bad Game, as to manage a good
•ne. The Day he was rtpulfed^ he played \ and the
Night that he killed himfelf, he ready as valuing the Lois
of his Life, and the m JOkig of an Office at the fame Rate»
People, I know, are very apt to pronounce upon other
Mens Infirmities, by the Meaftire of their own, and to
think it impoiIib]e, that a Man fhould be content to be
burntf wounded, killed, or fhackled, though in fomeCafet
he may. Jt i& only for a great Mind to^judge of great
Things ; for otherwife that which is our Iniirmity will
feem to be another Body's ; as a flraight Stick in the >Va*
X^x appears to be crooked : He that yields, draws i^pon.
his own Head his own Ruin ; for we are (bre to get the
better of Fortune, if wef do but ftruggle with her. Feur
cers and WrelUers we fee whbt Blows and Broifcs theyr
Cndore^.not only for Honour, but for Exercife. If v^a

I|t S E M B C A Chap. XVL

tsm oitr Badu once> we trc roalid, and pnrfiied : Tfaat
Ma« only 19 hapfiy, tkai drftws Good oot of Evil; that
ftands faft in his Jtufeneftt, and imaoved with any ex*
ternal Violence : of howerer, fe little inoved, diat-^
kecBeft Armw in the Qoiirer of Fortone, is bat as the
Prick of a Neectte to him, rathcv than a Wound : And
ail her other Weapoas £all upon him only as Hail upoa
the Roof of a Hoeib, diat crackles and fltips off agaio^

' wi^eat any Damage to the Inhabitant.

AoEKEROvs, and a deai;-fig;hted young Man wilt
• trt^ a **^* ^^ for • a Happinefj to encounter ill

/^ gri^ujt p^jrtunc. It is nothing for a Man €0
5r "ir^T hold up fats Head in a Calm; but to
fityts m M' ^i^^ji^ jji3 poft, when all others bav6
mufng U U. ^jjj^ their Ground, and there to ftaod
upright where other Men are beafen downi this h
divine and praife*wordiy. What III is there in Tor-
BientSy or in thofe tlungs which we commonly ac«
Qonnt grievous CrodesI The* great Btil is the want of
-Courage, the bowing and fnhmitting to them, whkrll
can never happen 10 a wife Man ; for he flands upright
under any Weight $ nothing that is to be born dH|>l^af*
es him ; he knows his Strength ; and whatieever may
be any Man^s Lot, he never complains of, if it be
bis own. Nature; he fays, deceives no body ; &e does
not tell us whether our Children (hall be fair, or fbqj $

' wife or fooli(h, good Subje£ls or Traitors ; nor whether
onr Fortune Ihall be good or bad. We muH not judgt
of a Man by his Ornaments ; but ftrip him of all the Ad«
vantages, and the Impoftufcs of Fortune; nay of his
very Body too ; and look into his Mind. If he can fee
a naked Sword at his Eyes without fa much as winking ;
if he make it a Thing indifferent to him, whedier his
Life go out at his Throat or at his Mouth ; if he can hear
himleif fentenced to Torments, or Exile ; and under the
very Hand of the Executioners, fay thus to himfelf, Jli
tits J am pro^iikd fir^ and it is no tnore than a Man^
that is tofyffer the Fate of Humanity^ This is the Tem-
per of Mind that fpeaks a Man happy ; and without this,
all the ConHuences of external Comforts (ignify no more
than the perfonating of a King upon the Stage; when the
Curtain is drawn> wf are Players again, >]ot that I pt»

Cluip.XVt or A HAFPV LIFE. 1(9

lepd to exempt a wife Mm out of ibe Number of Mest
a3 if he had no Senfe of Pain- But I reckon bim 09 cojii'»
pounded of Body and Soul : The Body i$ irradonal, and
^ay be^Uedy bnnit» tortared : but the rational P^ i«
&arlef»» sm^incibfe* and not to be (h^kcn^ This it is that
I reckon upon as the (Lq^remc Good of Man ; whieh, un^^
till it be perfeded, is but an unftecuiy Agitation of
Thought; and is the Perfe^on aa immo^eahli Stability.
It is not in our Cdntentbns with FortaQe» as in thofe ci
the Theatre^ where we nay throw down our Arm'i and
pray for Qaarter: But here we mnft die firm and refolote.
There^ needs no Encouragement to thofe things which
we are inclined to by a aatnral In^ndl; as the Pre(srva«
tionof ourfelues withEaiiei and Pleafure ; but, if it comes
to the Trial of our Faith by Torments» or of oar COOf-
rage by Wounds, theie are Di&uliies that we moil bo
armed againft byPhilofophy and Precept: and yet all
^s IS no more than what we were born tO; and noMat^
ter of Wonder at all ; fo that a wife Man prepares him'*
^If for it : as expeding that whatfoever may ie, mnll hi.
My Body is frails and liable, not only to the Impie^nt
of Violence^ but to Afflidions alfb, that naturally fuc«
cced our Pleafures. Full Meals bring Crudities : Wbor**
iag and Drinking make the Hands to fhake, and th«
£nees to tremble. It is only the Surprne, and Newneft
of the Thing, which makes that Misfortune terrible, which
by Premeditation might be made eafy to us. For, that
which fome People make light by SuiFerance, others do
by Fore- tight. Whatfoever is neceffiu-y, we mufl bear
patiently. It is no new Thing to die ; no new Thing to
mourn, and no new Thin^ to be merry again. Muil i
he pMrF 1 fhall have Company : In Banijbmenty I will
think myfHf born there ; jf I dig, I fhall be no more
fick ; and it is a Thing I can do but once.

Let us never wonder at any Thing * we are born
to, for ao Man has Reafon to complain, %f. 71^ x
where we are all in the fame Condition, /^^^f^f^^ff
He that efcapes might have fuffered /*77f • '^^
and it is but equal toTubmit to the Law ^^^'^'" ^^^»
of Mortality. We muft undergo the ^*
Colds of Winter, the Heats of Summer, the Di^em*
fct^ of the Air, and DUeafbs of th^ Body. A wildT

i6o S B N E C A Chap.XVT.

Beaft meets us in one l^Iace, and a N&n that is nlore'
brutal, in another ; we are here aflaulted by Fire, there
by Water, i^mitriut was re(erved by Providence, for
the Age he lived in, to (hew, that neither the Times could
corrupt him, nor he reform the People. He was a Man
of an exad Judgment, fteady to his Pnrpofe, and of a
ftrong Eloquence; not finical in his Words, but his Senic
was maiculine, and vehement., He was ib qualified ia
his Life and Diicourfe, that he ferved both for an Ex-
ample, and a Reproach. If Fortune ihodki have of^
fered that Man the Government, and the PoiTeffion of
the whole World, upon condition not to lay it down a-
gain ; 1 dare hy he would have refuied it : and thus have
expoftulated the Matter with you. Wbyfti^uld you tempt
a Freeman to put bis ShwUer under m Burden ; or atr
boneft Man to foUute him/elf <witb the Dregs of Mme^
kind f IFby do you offer me the Spoils of. Princes^ and jof
NationSf and the Price not only of your Bloody but of your
Souls? It is the Part of a great Mind to be temperate
in Profperity, reiblute in Adverfity ; to defpife what the
Vulgar admire; and to prefer a Mediocrity to an Ex-
cefs. Was not Socrates oppreiTed vyith Poverty, Labour,
nay, and the worll of Wars in his own Family, a fierce
and turbulent Woman to his Wife f Were not his Chil*
dren indocible, and like their Mother ? After ieven and
twenty Years fpent in Arms, he fell under the Slavery of
the thirty Tyrants^ and mod of tbero his bitter Enemies :
He came at laft to be fentenced as a Ifiolater ofRellgiouy
a Corrupter of Youtb^ and a common Eneny to God and
Jdak, After this he was imprisoned, and put t& Death,
by Poifon, which was all fo far from working upon his^
Mind, that it never (b much as altered his Countenance*.
We are to bear ill Accidents, as unkind Seafops, Di«
(lempers, or Difeafes ; and why may we not nckon the
Actions of wicked Men even among thofe Accidents ?
Their Deliberations are not Counlbls, but Frauds, Snares^*
and inordinate Motions of the Mind ; and they are never
without a thoufand Pretences and Occafions of doing ar
Man Mifchicf. They have their Informers, their Knightt
of the Foil; they can make an Intereft with powerful'-
Men, and one xaediy be robbed as well upon the Bench, aa^
ttpoi» the High* way. They lie in wait for Advantages^,

Chap.XVL Of A HAPPY LIFE. i6i

and Kve is perpetual Agitation, betwixf Mope and Fear;
whereas he that is truly compofed, will ftand all Shocks,
either of Violences, Flatteries, or Mei^aces, without Pcr-
tarbation« It is an inward Fear that makes ns curious
after what we hear abroad.

It is an Error to attribute either Go^d or III to * For*
tune: hot the Matter of' it we may; • <rL txr i f
and w€ ourfclves are the Occafion of ^ irerks oj

it. being, in EfFea, the Artificers of ^«^'»w^^«/^^^
our own Happinefs, or Mifery: For the ^^^'»^'' ^^^
Mind is above Fortune; if that be evil, it makes evenr
Thing elfe fo too : But if it be right,, and fincefe, iC
correSs what is wrong, and mollifies what is hard, with
Modefly and Courage. There is a great Difference a*
mong thofe that the World calls wife Men. Some take
up private Refolutions of oppoiing Fortune, but they
cannot go through with them i for they are etthei*
dazzled with Splendor on the-one hand, or affrighted with
Terrors on the other. Biit there are others that will
clofe, and grapple with Fortune, and (Ull come oi^vido^
rious. Mucius overcame the Fire; Regttlus the Gibbet $
Sacrates, Poifon ; Ruttlius^ Baniihment ; Cate^ Death ;
FaMciuj Riches ; Tubero^ Poverty ; and Sepctiusf Ho-
nours. But there are ibme again {o delicate^ that they
cannot fo much as bear a (candalous Report; which is
the fame Thing as if a Man (hould aoarre} for being
juftied ia a Crowd, or dafhed as he walKs in the Streets.
He that has a great way to go, muft exped a Slip, to
ftumble, and to be tired. To the luxurious Man, Fru-»'
gality is a Puniihment ; Labour and Induftry, to the
Sluggard; nay, Study itfeif is a Torment to him:
Not that the(e Things are hard to us by Nature, but we
ourfelves are vain and irreiblute: Nay, we wonder many
of us, how any Man can live without Wine» or endure
to rife fo early in a Morning.

* A BRAVB Man muft exped to be toiled ; for he is
to ftccr his Courfe in the Teeth of For* » »•. . • ^/ #•
tune, and to work againft Wind and . iT^^f''^*'
Weather. In the Suffering of Tor- '* ^^^^J^
inents, though there appears but one Virtue* a Man
exercifes many. That which is moft eminent is Patience
(which is but a Branch of Fortitude: ) But there is Pru*

\6» a 9 N E c A a»p.xvr.

4^ACp alfo in tkf Choiot of the Adion, and in the

Bearing what wr cannot avoid : nod tliere is Coeftancy

in bearing it (efoloteiy : And there is the fame CoQCur-*

icoce ^Ifq of fever^ Virtpes in other geoerous Uoder-r

takingF. When LionUas vtzs to carry hi? 300 Men into

the Straits of Tbtrwuofyla^ to put a ftop K^JUrxa his huge

Army : Comit FeUo^w^ SoUierSf iayi he, eat your Ditmert

herty as if you. *wer$ /• fuf in amthtr W^rUm And they

anfwered his Refolution* How plain and imperious

was that (hort Speech of Cadiiius to his Men upon a

defperate Adtion; and how eloriotts a Mixture was

ihere in it both of Bravery ana Prudence ? SMiers, (ays

b?) // is neccjfary for us to go, hut it is net nectffary for

us tn rttwn. This brief and pertinent Harangue was

wortli ten Thpufand of the frivolous Cavils, and Di(Hnc-

tions of the Schools, whi<;h rather break the Mind, than

fortify it ; and when it is once perplexed, and pricked

with PificuUics apd Scruples, there they leave it. Our

Piffioos are num^Qus and ftrong, and not to be xnaAer-

ed wkh Qyirks and Tricks, as if a Man (hould under*

l^kc to de^d the Caufe of God and Man with a Ba!ru(b«

{t iiras 9 remark ^e Piece of Honour and Policy together^

that A^on of C/i>^r^$, upon the taking 6£ Pomfey^ Ca«

l^inet at theBal^e oJF PhArfalta: It is probable, that tbo

tietten in \i might have diicovered who were his Fcicnds

fod who his EAemies ; 4nd yet he burnt it, without (b

much as opening it: EAecming it the nobleil way of par*

doniag, to keep himfelf ignorant both of the Ofiender,

aad pf the C^enoe. It was a brave Prefence of Mind

alfo in 4hxatidir^ whi>» upon Advice that his Phyitdan

Ehd*p intended to poifon htm, took the Letter of Ad*

vice ia one Hand and the Cup in the other ; delivering

FhiUft the LettM to read, while faimielf drank the

Potion*

' Sojbf £ are of Opinion, that Dea^ gives a Man Conrag*

•p_ ... to fupport Pain, and that Pain fortifies
Ftriui ts tnvtn. ^ ^^ ^^^^^ j^^^^ : But I fiiy rather,

^ that a wife Man depends upon himAlf

againft both, and that he dpes not either fu^r wkh Fa*
t&nce in Hopes of Death, or die willingly becanfe he ia
weary of Life ; bul he bears the one, and waits for tho
other i suad carriei a divine Mind through all the A^«

Chap.XVlL Of A HAPPY LIFE. 163

cidcnta of human Life. He looks upon F^th antl Ho*
Jieftyf as the moft (acred Good of Maolufldy and oci*
ther to be forced by Neceffity, nor corrupted by Reward :
Kill« bum, tear hire to Pieces* he will be true to hit
Truft : and the more a Man labpur3 to make him difco*
yer a Secret* the deeper he will hide it. Reiblution is the
inexpugnable Defence of human Weaknefs* and it is a
wonderful Providence that attends it. Hordtius Codes
pppofed his iiagle Body to the whole Army, until
the Bridge was cut down behind him, and then he leaped
.into the River with his Sword in his Hand, and came off
fafe to his Party. There was a Fellow queftioned aboot
a Plot upoa the Life of a Tyrant, and put to the Tor-
ture to decla^ his Confederates : He named, one' by
one, all the Tyrant-s Friends th^t were about him ;
knd flill as they were named, they were put to Death;
the Tyrant aiked him at lafi, if there were any more ;
Yes^ iays he, you yourfelf were in the Plot ; and now
you have never another Friend left you in the World :
Whereupon the Tyram cut the Throats of his ow»
puards* ' Hi is the happy Man that h ibi Mafter §/ tim"
jfijfi and ttiumphi 9V*r the Fior o/DiOi&f *wbicb tui ^fV4r^
i^me tbi Coft^i^erftn of tbs World*

CHAP, xvn,

Ow Hafpinefs de funds in a great Meafun upon
the Choice of our Compatq,

THE Comfort of Life depends upon Conver/ation :
Good OfHces and Concord, and human Society,
is like the Working of an Arch of Stone j all would fall
to the Ground, if one Piece did not fupport anotber.
Above all Things let us have a Tendcmefs for Bfood j
and it is yet too little not to hurt, unlefs we profit one
another. We are to relieve the Diftrefied ; to put the
Wanderer into his Way ; and to divide our Bread wit|i
the Hungry : Which is but the doiug of Good to our-
felvcs ;• for we are only feveral Members of one great
Body. Nay, we are all of a Confanguinity ; formed of
the fame Matenals, and deigned to the fame End : This
ohiliges us to a onicual Tendernefs, andConverfe; and
the other, to i|vc with a Regard to Equity, and Juftice^

1 64 SENECA Chap. XVIL

Tlie Love of Society is natural ; t>ot the Choice of our
Company is matter of Virtue and Pradence. Noble Ex^
ample* fttr os up to noble Adions ; and the very Hiftory
of large and public Souls, infpires a Man with generous
Thoughts. It makes a Man long to be in A^lton, and
doing of ibmething that the World may be the better
for, as proteding the Weak, delivering the Opprefled,
punifhing the Ink>1ent. It is a great Blefiing, the very
Conicience of giving a good Example, befide that it is
the greateft Obligation any Man can hy upon the Age
he lives in. He that converfes with the Proud, fhall be
puiied up : a luAful Acquaintance makes a Man lafcivi-
ous ; and the way to (ecnre a Man from Wickednefs, Is
to withdraw from t|)e Examples pf i^ It is too much
to have them mar us, but ^ore to have them nvithin
OS : 111 Examples, Pleafure, and Ea(e, are, no doubt of
it, great Corrupters of Manners. A rocky Qround har-*
dens the Horfes Hoof: The Mountaineer makes the
beft Soldier, the Miner makes the bell Pionier, and
Severiw of Difcipline fortifies the Mind. In all Excef-
ies and Extremities of good, and of ill Fortune, let us
have Recourfe to great Examples, that have contemned
both, Tbo/e are tht hefi hftruaors that teacb in their
'Livest and prove tbeir Words by their A^iom*

As an ill Air may endanger a good Conflitudon, ^
• J 'J °^*y ^ *-Pl^c o^ '11 Example endanger a

../?'! n/'^'" good Man. Nay, there are fome Places
Mtj/olute flam, ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ ^^ Privilege to be licen-
asrwellaslooje ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ UxxMty, and Diffolu-
^tmpanioHs. ^.^^ ^^ Manners feem to be lawful ; for
great Examples give both Authority and Excufe to
Wickednefs. Thofe Places are to be avoided as dan-
gerous to our Manners* Hanmbal himfelf was unman*
ned by the Loofenefs of Campania^ and though a Con*
queror by his Arms, he was overcome by his Pleaiures*
I would as foon live among Butchers as among Cooks ;
not, but that a Man may be temperate in any Place ;
but, to fee drunken Men daggering up and down every
where ; and only the Spedades of Lud, Liixurv, and
Excefs, before our Eyes, it is , not fafe to expo& oar*
felves to the Temptation. If the viflorious Hanmbal
himielf could not refift itj what ihaU become of as

Oiap. XVII. Of A H A P P Y L I F E. 165

th^n that are fal)due<]» and give ground to cor Luflg
ah-eady ? He that has to do with an Enen^y in his
Breaidy has a harder Talk upon him than he that hat to
'encounter one in the Field : His Hazard is greater if he
lofes Ground, and hii Duty is perpetual; for he has no
Place or Time for Red. If I give way to Pleafure, I
mud alfo yield to Grief, to Poverty, to Labour, Ambl-
tion» Anger, until I am torn to Pieces by my Misfor*
tunes, and my Lufls. But, againft all this, Philofbphy
propounds a Liberty, that is to fay, a Liberty from the
Service of Accidents, and Fortune. There is not any
Thing that does more Mifchief to Mankind, than mcr*
cenary Mailers of Philofophy, that do not live- as they
teach ; they give a Scandal to Virtue. How can any Man
expe^ that a Ship ihould fleer a fortunate Courfe, when
the Pilot lies wallowing in his own Vomit ? It is an
, ofual Thing, ia^ to learn to do ill ourfelves, and thea
to inftrud others to do fo : But that Man mull needs b«-
v^ry wicked, that has gathered into himfelf the Wicked*
nefs of other People.

The beft Converdtion is with the Philoibphen :
* That is to fay^ with fuch of them as ^ „ ^. • p, .
teach us Matter, not Words : that , /l? fH

preach to us Things neceflary, and Tin J"""^
keep us to the Practice of them. There ^'^ ^^P^^^
can be no Peace in human Life, without the Contempt^
of all Events. There is nothing that puts better Thoughts
into a Man, or fooner fers him right that is out of the
way, than a good Companion. For, the Example has
the Force .of a Precept, and touches the Heart with an,
Affeiftion to Goodneis. And not only the frequent Hear-,
ing and Seeing of a wife Man delights us, but the very
Encounter of him fuggefts profitable Contemplations %
iuch as a Man finds himfelf moved withj when he goes
into a holy Place. I will take more Care with ntihom I
eat and > drink, than nMbat ;^ for without a Friend, the
Table is a Manger. Writing does well ; but perfonal
Difcourfe, and Converfatipn does better ; for Men ^ive
great Credit to their Ears, and take flronger Impreffions
from Example than Precept. CUanthn had never hit
Ztno fo to the Life, if he had not been Avith him at alt
his Privacies ; if he had not watched, andjobferved him.

t66 S E U t C A Gktp.XVli:

whether tt no he pra^fed as' he taught P/ato got
more from Socrates his Manners, than troin his Wards ;
and it was not the ^tlmU but the Ctrnpanyy and Familiar
rity of Bfieurusj that mad^ Mtirodorusy HerHfochus, and
Pclytenut fo famont.

Now thoQgh it be by Inftinft that we' covet Society^
^, y> and aVbid Solknde, we flioald yet taW

Mffjr /^/ Mtfr/ qmintanee.tbe more Danger. Nay, there
ijanger* w hot one Man of an Hondred that is

to be ttniled with himfelf. If Company cannot alter uis,
jX may interrupt us ; and he that fo much as ftops npon
the Wayt lofes a g;reat desd of a (hort Life ; which wef
yet make (horter by our Inconftancv, If an £nemy
were at our Heeb, what Hafte fhouid we make? Bat
Death is fo, and yet we never mind it. ' There is no^
venturing of tender and eafy Natures among the People $
fbr it is odds that they wiH go over to the major Party.
It would perhaps ihake the Conftancy of ^otrateij CatOj
Lalius, .or any of us all» even when our Reiblutions are
at the Height, to (land the Shock of Vice diat prefTes
upon OS with a kind of public Authority. It is a World
of Mifchief that may be done by one fingle Example of
Avarice and Luxury. One voluptuous Palate ma^s a
great many. A wealthy Neighbour ftirs up Envy, and
a Peering Companion moves III -nature whertver he
cbhies. What will become of thofe Pebple then, that
expofe themfelves to a popular Violence f Which is ilt
both ways ; either if they comply with the Wicked, . be-
caufe they arc many, or quarrel with the Multitude, be*',
csiufe they are not principled alike. The beft way is to
retire, and afTociate only with thofd that may be the better
fbr us, and we for them. Thcfe Rcfpcfls are mutual, for
while we teach^ we team. To deal freely 5 I dare not
mift my felf ili the Hands of much Comjpany ; I nev^r go
abroad, that I come home again the lame Man I went'
out. Some thing or other that I had put in order is dif-
compofed^ Some Paffion that 1 had fubdued, gets head
again : and it is juH with our Minds, as it is after a long
Indifpofition with our Bodies ; we are grown (o tender,
that the leaft Breath of Air expofes us to a Relapfe.
And it h no wotider, if a nnmtxotts CoxlVeriktion be

Ch*p.XVrtr. Of A K AP^y LIFE. t6f

4angerotte wliere there is^ fcarce any fihgle Mad, but
by his Dffcburfe^ Example, or Behalrioar, do^s either
recommend to us» or imprint in as^ oir by a kind of Con-
tagion, infendbly infe6t its ivith one Vice or other ; and
the more People the greacter is the Peril. Ei^'ecially let
ns have a Care of public Spef^acles, where Wickedneft
infinuares itfelf with Fleafure; and abbVe all othtrs, lei
OS avoid Spe6!acles of Cruelty; and Blood ; and htve
* nothing to do with thofe tttat are perpetually t^hhiing and
complaining; there may be Faith and Kindnefs there,
but no Peaces People that are ehhet fad, or feaiful,
we do commonly, for their own Sake), fet a Guard apA
on them, for fear they fhodd make ah ill Ufe of being
alone : efpecially i he imprudent, who are dill contriving
of MifchieF, either for others, or for thenifelved ; in
cherifiring their Lufh, or Forming then- Defigns. So much
for the Choice of a Cmpanhn ; we ffaaii now proce^ t6
chat of a Frinui.

CHAP. XVIII.
Thi BUffin^t of FrUndflnp.

OF all Felicities, the molt charming is that oF a
firm and gentle Friendjhip* It fweetens all oui*
Cares $ dilpels our Sorrdws, and counfels ns in all Ex-
tremities. Nay, if there were no other Contort in it^^
dian the bare Exerclfe of fo generous a Virtue, even for
diat iingle ReafOn, a Man would not be without if. Be-[
£de, that it is a fovereign Antidote aeaini^ all Calami <^
ties ; even againft the Fear of Death itielf.

BtTT, we are not yet to number our Friends * by the^
Fififs that are made us ; and to con- ^ p^.,.^ jmu^ •
found the Decencies of Ceremony znA ^^J^J^,
Ctunmerce; with the Offices of untied *^/^''''*Vi;
Jfeahns. Caiui Graccvs, and after '*''**' "^ * ^'-^'^
him LMus Drufusy Were the Men that introduced among
the Romans the Faftiion of fejparating their Vifitants :
Some were taken into their C/9/^r, others were only
admitted into the Anli^Chamhtr j and fomc again wtore

|68 SENECA. Cfaap.XVllt

fitinto wait in the £&// perhaps, or in tht Court, So
that they had their JSrfif their fecond^ and their third-
rati Friends ; bat none of them true : Only they are
called fo in Coarfe, as we falute Strangers with fome
Title or other of Refpe^t at a venture. There is no
depending upon thofe Men that only take their Com-
pliment in their Turn, and rather flip through the Door,
than enter at \Xa He will find himfelf in a great Midake
Aat either feeks foe a Friend in a Palace, or tries him at
« Feaft.

Thy great Difficulty reils in the * Choice of him;

^cTL nt ' ^ r that is to fay in the firft Place, let him
^ Tt9e CP9tci of a » . ^ r xr* ' •

-, . . •'be virtuous; for vjce is contagions,

rrtena, ^^^ ^^^^^ -^ ^^ trufting of the Sound

and the Sick together : And he ought to be a wife Man
too, if a Bpdy knew where to find him : But in this
Cafey he that is lead ill, is beft; and the higheft De-
cree of human Prudence is only the moll venial Folly.
That Friendfhip, where Men^s Affedions are cemented
by an equal, and by a common Love of Goodoefs; it is
not either Hope, or Fear, or any private Intereft, that
can ever diiTolve it ; but we carry it with us to our
Graves, and lay dowt^ our Lives for it with Satis*
£a£doiu Paulmas GookJ, and mine (lays our Author)
were fo wrapt np together, that in confulting her Com-
fort, I provided for my own : and when 1 could not
prevail upon her to take lefs Care for me, fhe prevailed
upon me to take more Care of myfelf. Some People
make it a Queftion, Whether ic is the greater Delight,
the Enjoying of an old Friendfhip, ; or the Acquiring
of a new one : but it is in preparing of a Friendfhip>
and in the Pofleffion of it, as it is with a Hulbandroan
in Sowing and Reaping: His Delight^ is the Hope of
his Labour in the one Cafe, and the Fruit of it in the
other. My Converfation lies among my Books, but yet
Ia ihe Letters of a Friend, me^hinniSy I have his Com-
pany ; and when I anfwer them, I do not only write,
^ttt fpeak : And in effeft, a Friend is an Eye, a Hearty
a Tongue, a Hand, at all Difiances. When Friends fee
one another perfonally, they do not fee one another as
they do when they are divided, whei;e the Meditation
di^ifies the Profpea ; iliaC^Cf'ts^^

. diap. XVIH. Of A . H A P P y LIFE. 169

-^^if^^f^ itfufi^'fOfj^fl^^. ' Bat they are eifeAuaUy in a great
JM^afore abfent, even when they ar6 prefent. Confider
their Nights apart^; their private Studies ; thcit fepacate
Employments, and neceflary Vifits, and they are almoil
as much together, divided, as prefent. True Friends
are the whole World to one another ; and he that is a
Friend to himfelf is alfo a Friend to Mankind. Even
in my very Studies, the greateft Delight I take in what
I learn, is th6 teachjng of it to others : For there is no
Reliih, methinks, in the pofieifingof any thing without a
Partner : Nay, if Wiidom itrdf were offered me, upon
Condition only- of keeping it to myfelf, I (hould un*
doubtedly refufe it,

LUCILIUS tells me, that he was written to by
a * Friend, but cautions me withal, not ^ cj^, nt

to fay any Thing to him of the Aftair in ^/^X'^^/^
Qi^ion ; for he himfelf Hands upon the \ . J^^!^^ ***
fame Guard. What is this, but to affirm ^' '^«^^V-
and to deny the fame thing in the fame Breath ; in cal*
ling a Man a Friend, whom we dare not truft as our own
Soul ? For there muil be no Referves in Friendihip : As
much Deliberation as you pleafe before the League is
Aruck ; but no Doubtings, or Jealoufies after. It is a
prepollerous Weaknefs to love a Man before we know
him, and not to care for him after, h requires Time
to coniider of a Friendihip ; but, the Reioluuon once
taken, entitles him to my very Heart : I lo^k upon my
Thoughts to be as fafe in his BreaiV, as in my own ; I
ihall, without any Scruple, make him the Confident of
my moH iecret Cares and Counfels. It goes a great way
toward making a Man faithful, to let him underlland,
that you think him fo ; and he that does but fo much as
fufpe^ that I will deceive him, gives me a kind of Right
to cozen him. When I am with my Friend, meihinks I
am alone, and as much at Liberty to fpeak any Thing as
to think it ; and, as oar. Hearts are one, fo mud be our
Jnterefts, and Convenience : For Frierdiliip lays all
things in common, and nothing can be good to the one,
that is ill to the other. I do not fpeak of fuch a Com-
munity as 10 dedroy one another's Propriety ; but as the
Father and the Mother have two Children, not One ^^
piece, but each of them two.

1

170 SENECA Ouip.XVim

BVr> let us have a Care aibovevall things, that oar
^ . Kindncis * be rightfully fbuaded ; for

r • v/f^'*' where there is any other Jnvitation to
trun4fhip. Fricodfliip itfelf, that Friendihip will he
boaght and fold. He derc^trs firom the Majefly of it»
« that naiees it only dependent upon good Fortime. it is
ft narrow Cooikleration for a Man to pkafe hinleif in
the Thought of a Fnead ; becaufe, fays he, / flfoll have
911$ ta hilp mtt nAjhn I amJitJ^, in Prifimy er in H^ani, A
brave Man (hotild rather tais^ Ddight in the Contem-
plation of doing the fame Offices for another. He that
loves a Man for his own Sake, is in an Error. A
Friendihip of Intereft cannot la^ any longer than the
Intereft itfelf; and this is the Reaibn that Men in Prof-
perity are fo much followed ; and when a Man goes
down the Wind, no Body conies near him. Temporary
Friends will never Hand theTeft. One Man is foriaken
for Fear or Profit ; another is betrayed. It is a Nego-
tiation, not a Friendfhip, that has an Eye to Advanta-
ges : only through the Corruption of Times, that which
was formerly a Friendihip, is now become a De£gn upon
a Booty : Alter your Teilainent, and you loie your
Friend. But, my End of Friendihip is to have one
dearer to me than myielf ; and for the faving of whofe
Life, I woald chearfally lay down my own. Taking this
along with me; thatonly wiieMen can be Friends;
others are but Companions : and that there is a great
]>ifference alfo betwixt Love and Friendfiiip ; the one
may fonietimes do us hurt ; the other always does us
good ; for one Friend is helpful to another in s^l Ca^s,
as well in Profperity, as Afflidion. We receive Comfort
even at a Diilance, from thoie we love, but then it is light
and faint : whereas Preieoce and Converfation touches us
to the quick ; eipedally if we find the Man we love to
be fuch a Perfon as we wiih.

It is ufual with Princes to reproach the Living, by

iTL 7 r r commending the Dead ; and to praifo
The Lo/f cf a ^^^^^ p^^^j^ ^^^ fpeaking T^ath, from^
Fnemi t4 hardly ^y^^^ ^^^^^ .^ ^^ ^^ j^^^ ^^

Ubeupatud. jj^a,i„gij. This is ^«^>, his Cafe.
He was forced to banifli his Daughter Julia for her
comoion and proflituted Impudence ; and ftill> bpoa

ehzf.XiX. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 17s

freih iQlbrmadonSp he was 4>hen beard to &y i ^ Agrip-
pa« 0r Mecasnas, I^aJ teen now alive, this wouU ntver
%a've heen, Bjat yet where tbe Fault lay, m^y be a
Qudlion ; for perchance it was his own, that had rather
complain for the Want of them, (haa ^ek for others as
good. The Raman LoiTes by War, and by Fire, ^^«/-
tus could quickly fupply, and ri^^pair ; b^t, for tbe JLois
of two Friends^ he laniented his whole Life afoer. Xer-
xes (a vain and fooliih Prince), when be m^At War upon
K^reece^ one told him, // lu^ld never ceme to a Battle,
Another, That he <wQuldfind onfy empty Cities ^ and Conn'
triejf for they njoould not Jo much as ft and the vity Fame
if his Coming. Others foothed him in tbe Opinion of his
prodigious Numbers i and they all concurred to pjiffhim
up to his Deftrudion. Only Demaratus advifed AAnQ, npt
to depend too much upon his N^imb^s, for be would
rather find them a Burden to him, than an Advantage :
And that three hundred Men, in j:be Straits of tbeMoun-
tains, would be fuiicient to give a Check to bis whole
Army : And that fuch an Accident would ufidoabtedly
turn bis vaft Numbers to his Confu&on. It fell out after^
^ ward as he foretold, and he had Thanks for bis<FideJity.
A mifetable Prince, that among To many thou(and Sub-
jeAs, bad but one Servant to teU bim Truth.

CHAP. XIX.

Hi thai would be bappy^, tmfi take tm jtcc^nt of

his Time.

IN tke Difiribution of human Life, we find, that a
great Fart of it paflcs away in EHfil-doing ; a greater
yet, in doing juft nothing at ail: and eflFeftaally the
whole, 10 doijig Things Infide omr Bufinefu Some Hours
webeftow upon Ceremony, and fervile Attendances;
focDe upon our Fkafures, and the Remainder runs at wa^e.
What a Deal of Time is it that we fpend in Hopes, and
Fears ; Lowe and Revenge ; in Balls, Treats, making of
lotereils.; fuing for Offices, foliciting of Caufes, and fla* '
viih Flatteries ! The Sbortnefs of life, I know, is ihc

I z

>72 SENECA Chap. XIX.

common Complaint both of Fools and Philofbphers ; as
if the Time we have, were not fufficient for our Duties.
B\H it is with our Lives as with our £ftates> a good
Hufband makes a little go a great way; whereas, let the
Revenue of a Prince fall into the Hand of a Prodigal,
it is gone in a Moment. So that the Time allotted u^,
if it were well employed, were abundantly enough to
anfwer all the Ends and Purpofes of Mankind. But we
fquander it away in Avarice, Drink, Sleep, Luxury^
Ambition; fawning Addrefles, Envy, rambling Voyages;
impertinent Studies, Change of Counfels, and the lilwe ;
and when our Portion is fpent, we find the want of ir,
though we give no heed to it in the Paflage : Infomuch,
that we have rather maife our Life ihort than JbunJ it fo;
You fhall have fome People perpetually playing with
their Fingers, Whittling, Humming, and Talking to
themfelves ; and others confume their Days in the Com-
pofing, Hearing, or Reciting of Songs, and Lampoons.
How many precious Mornings do we.fpendin Confulta-
tion with Barbers, Taylors, and Tire- Women, Patching,
and Painting, betwixt the Comb and the Glafs ? A
Counfel mull be called upon every Hair we cut, and one
Curl amifs, is as much as a Body's Life is worth. The
Truth is, we are more folicitous about our Drefs, than
our Manners ; and about the Order of our Periwigs,
than that of the Government. At this Rate, let us but
difcount, out of a Life of 9 hundred Years, that Time
which has been fpent upon popular Negotiations, frivo-
lous Amours, domeflic Brawls, Sauntenngs up and down
to no Purpofe ; Difea(es that we have brought upon our-
felves ; and this large Extent of Life will not amount,
perhaps, to the Minority of another Man. It is a long
Being, but perchance Si/j^rt Life, and what is th^ Reaiba
of all this ? We live as we fhould never die, ^nd with*
out any Thought of human Frailty ; -when yet the very
Moment we bellow upon this Man, or Thing, may per-
adventure be our lad. But the greatefl Lofs of Time, is
Delay and Expedation, which depends upon the Future.
We let go the Prefent, which we have in our owa Power,
we look forward to that which depends upon Fortune,
and fo quit a Ceruinty for an Uncertainty. We ihouli

Chap. XIX. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 17J

do by Time, as we do by a Torrent, make ufe of it .
while we may have it, for it will not lad always.

The Calamities of human Nature may be divided
into * the Fear of Deaths and the Mi/e- , •, „ ,
rhs and Ernrs of Life. And it is the , ^^^^^ '^'^
great Work of Mankind, to matter the ^^ T^' • 7
one. and to reftify the other; and fo '^^^''^^'f'"''^'
live, as neither to make Life irkfome to ^^tfj^ '
OS, nor Death terrible. Itfhouid beour
Care, before we are old, to live well, and when we are
fo, to die well ; that we may exped our End without^
Sadnefs ; for it is the Duty of Life to prepare our(elve»
for Death ; and there is not an Hour we live, that doe»
not mind us of our Mortality : Time runs on, and all
Things have their Pate, though it lies in the Dark. The
Period is certain to Nature, but, what am I the better for
it, ifit be not fo to me ? We propound Travels, Arms,
Adventures, without ever coniidering that Death lies in
the Way : Oor Time is fet, and none of us know how
near it is ; but we are all of us agreed, that the Decree
is unchangeable. Why (honld we wonder to have that
befal us to day, which might have happened to us any
Minute fince we were botn ? Let us therefore live as if
every Moment were to be our laft ; and fet our Accounts
Tight every Day that paffes over our Heads. Wc are
not ready for Death, and therefore we fear it, becaufe
we do not know what will become of us when we are
gone ; and that Coniideration flrikes us with an inex-
plicable Terror. The way to avoid this Diftradlion, is
to contrail oar Bufinefs, and our Thoughts : when the
. Miqd IS (ettlied, a Day, or an Age, is all one to us ; and
the Series of Time, which is now our Trouble, will thea
*be our Delight : For he that is fteadily refblved againft
all Uncertainties, (hall never be diflurbed with the Va*
viety of thetn. Let us make hade therefore to live, Hncer
.every Day to a wife Man is a hew Life : For he has^
. done his Buiinefs the Day before, and fo prepared hinv
felf forthe next, that if it bie not his laft, he knows yet
that it might have been ib. No Man enjoys the true-
Tafteof Life, but he that is willing and ready to quit
tt.

1 3

174 SENECA Chap. XIX.

"f H£ Wit of Man is not able to exprefi the * Blindnefi

• ir# tai» mart ®^ ^^^^^ ^P^^Yf « taking fo much
wrt lan mww ^^^ q^^ ^^ ^^^ Fortunes, our Hoafes«

/I^7 ihan^^'f ^^^ ^^ Money, than we do of our
*«f/ an 9j i^jygg . eygry Body breaks in upon the

one gratis^ but we betake ourfelves la
Fire and Sword, if any M»i invades the other. There
is no dividing in the Cafe of Patrimony, but People (hare
our Time with us at Pleafure : So pxofofe are we of that
only Thing, whereof we may be honeflly covetous. It
is a common Practice tO afk an Hour or two of a Friend,
for fuch or fuch a Bufinefs, and it is as eaiily granted;
both Parties only coofidering the Occafion and not the
Thing itfelf. They never put Time to Account, which
is the mod valuable of all precious Things : But becaufir
they do not fee it, they reckon upon it as nothing ; and
yet thefe eafy Men, when they come to die, wodd give
the whole World for thefe Hours aeaia, which they (b
inconsiderately caft away before; but there is no re#
covering of them. If tbey could nun^ber their Pays
that are yet to come, as tbey can tho.^e that are already
j>aft, how would thofe ^^zxy People tremble at the Ap-
prehenfion of Death, though a hundred Years henc(;»
that never {o much as think of it at prefent, though
ihey know not but it may take them aw^ the next im-
jr.ediate Minute t It is an ufual Saying» Iimuldgi<ueey
Life for fuch or fuch a frUnd^ when at the feme time we
do give it without fb much as thinking of it : Nay,
when that Friend is never the better tor it, and we
ourfelves the worfe. Our Time is fet, and Day and
Night we travel on ; there is no Baiting by the Way,
and it is not in the Power either of Prince or People to
prolong it. Such is the Love of Life, that even thofe
decrepit Dotards that have loft the nfe of it, will yet beg
the Continuance of it, and make themfelves yom^er
than they are, as if they could cozen even Fate xvSoL
When they fall iick, what Promifes of Amendment if
they e(cape that Bout : What Exclamations affainft the
Folly of their mif-foent Time ? And, yet if they reco-
ver, they relapfe. No Man takes Care to live well, but
long ; when yet it is in every Body^s Power to do the
former, and in no Man*i to do the latter. We con-

/

Chi^.XIX. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 475

fone oar Lives, in providing thert^hiikrnmtntiofL^,
apd goveni oorfelves ftiil with a Regard to the Future :
So tbat we do not pfoperly live, b«€ we are about to live.
How great A Shame is it, to be laying new Pcmndatioos
of Life at our lafl Gafp; and for an old Man (that can
only prove his Age by his Beard) with one Foot in the
Grave, to go to School again ? While we are youae^, we
nMiy learn : our Minds are tradable, and our Bodies fit
for Labour and Study ; but when Age comes on, we are
feized with Langnor and Sloth, afili^ed with Difeafeff,
and at laft we leave the World as ignorant as- we eama
into it : Only we i/ie worfe than we were 66rrt ; which Is
none of Nature's Paulc, but ours ; for osr Pears, Sufpi-
cions, Perfidy, &c. are from ourfelves. I wifh with all
ray Soul, that f bad thought of my End iboner, but I
raoft make the more Hafte now, and fpur on, like
thoie that iec out late npon a Journey ; it will be better
to learn late than not at all, thoo|h it be bat only to io-
ftrud me, hcAv I may leave the Stage with Honour.

In the Diviiion 5f Life there is * Time prf/tnff fafiy
and t9 €OJM, What we <^, // J^ort ; what ^ a^ "
wo fitAlld^^ iidQuhiful\ but what we bwvt / ,^J^^'j
^M#, is ciftoiH, and out of the Power <rf fotJ'''^*f''J^*^'^
tone. The Paflage of Time is wonderfully '' '''"'''
qoidc, and a Man muil looic backward to fee it : sAnd
in that Retrofpedl, he has all pafl Ages at a View. But
the prefent gives us the Slip unperceived. It is bat a
Moment that we live, and yet we are dividing it into
Childhffd, Toutb, Majfs Eflatt and Old Jge^ all which
Degrees we bring into that narrow Compafs* If we
do not watch, we loft oor Opportunities ; if we do not
make Hade, we^ are left behind ; our beft Hours e&ape
us, the worft are come. The pnreft part of our Life*
runs fird, and leaves only the Dregs at the Bottom ;
and fhatTimt^ nvbUb i$ good for nothing ilji, njoi dedi"
cau to Virtue i and only propound to begin to live at
an Age that very few People arrive at. What greater
Folly can there be in the World, than this Lofs of Tini^
the Future being £> oncertain, and jthe Dangers fo irre-
parable ? If Death be neceiTary, v4ly ihould any Mam
fear it ? And if the Time of it.br ancertaifi, why (hoold
not woadways expe^ k? we &04iid tbesefive ficft pie<^

I 4

176 SENECA Ciap- XIX.

pare ourfelves by a virtuous Life* againft the dread of ai^

inevitable Death : And it is not for os to put ofF being

good until fuch or fuch a Bufinefs i^ over : for one Bufi-

nefs draws on another, and we do a»good as fow it ; one

Grain produces more. It is not enough to philofophize

when we have nothing elfe to do ; bat we tnu& attend

Wi(dom, even to the Negled of all Things elfe ; for we

are fo far from having Time to fpare; that the Age of the

World would be yet too narrow for our Bniinefs ; nor

is it fufficient not to omit it> bat we mufl nat &> much as

intermit it.

There is nothing that we can * properly call our

m txr n own, but our Time, and yet every Body

♦ frt can call ^. , , r •* *i. ^ i. • j * •!

> . fools us out of It, that has a mmd to it..

«fl mgouro'wn if ^yi^^ borrows a paultry Sam of Mo-
oat 7m$. ^^^ ^j^^^^ ^^^ "needs be Bonds and Secu-
rities, and every common Civility is prefently charged up-
on Aocount : but, he that has my Time, thinks he owes
me nothing for it, though it be a Debt that Gratitude it-
felf can, never repay. I cannot call any Man poor that
has enough ftill left, be ic never fo little : it is good Ad-
vice yet to thofe that have the World before them* to
play the good Hufband betimes, for it is too late to fpare
at the Bottom, when all is drawn put to the Lees. He
that takes away a Day from me, takes away what he can
never reftore me. But our Time is either force i a^ay
from us, Offiolen from us* or lofl : Of which, the lail is
the foulefl Mifcarriage. It is in Life, as in a Journey :
a Book, or a Companion, brings us to our Lodging be-
fore we thought we were half way. Upon the whole
Matter, we confucie ourfelves one upon another, without
any Regard at all to our own Particular. 1 do not fpeak
of fuch as live in notorious Scandal, but even thofe Men
themfelvcs. whom the World pronounces iiappy, are
fmothered in their Felicities ; Servants to their ^rofeffi-
ons and Clients, and drowned in their Luils: We are apt
to complain of the Haughtinefs of Great Men, when yet
there is hardly any of them all fo proud, but that at fome
Time or other a Man may yet have Accefs to him, and
perhaps a good Word or Look into the Bargain. Why
do we not rather complain of cur/ei*vej^ for being of all
p:hcr, even to cuxielves, the moft deaf» and inacccfliblef

Cbp-XX. Of A HAPPY LIFEf 177

Company znd Bufinefsare great* Devourers of Time,
and our Vices deftroy our Lives, • /^ ^ v^ /fi

as well as our Fortunes. The preient ^ "jp^vyaft u/t*
is but a Moment, and perpetually in "^' ^'^^ Z*/.^ ^
Flux i the Time pall we call to mmd -'

when we pleafc, and ic will abide the ELxaminacion and
Inipefiion. But the bufy Man has not Leifure to look
back i or if he has, it is an unpleafant Thing to reflefV
upon a Life to be repented of: Whereas the Confcience
of a good Life puts a Man into a fecure and perpetual-
PoiTefllon of a Felicity never to be ditturbed, or taken a-
\vay : But he that has led a wicked Life, is afraid of his
own Memory, and on the Review of himfelf. he finds only
/Appetite, Avarice, or Ambition, inflead of Vinue. But
Hill he that is not at leifure many times to live, mull, when
his Fate comes, whether he will or no, be at leifure to
die. Alas I what is Time to Eternity ? The Age of a
Man to the Aoe of the World I And how much of this
li tic do we fpend in Fears, Anxieties, Tears, Childhood ?
Nay, we flecp away the one half. How great Part of it
runs away in Luxury, and Excefs ; the ranging of our
Guefts, our Servants,, and our Difhes ? As if we were to,
eat and drink, not for Satiety but Ambition. The r^ights
may well feem (hori that are fo dear bought, and beftow-
ed upon Wine and Women : The Day is loft in Expect
lation of the Night,, and the Nightin the App ehcnfion.
of the Morning. There is a Terror in our very Pleafures ;
snd this vexatious Thought in the very Height of thern^,
that thty, 'will not laft ahways : Which is a Can|<er in the
Deliglus, eveii of the greaiefl, and the moft fortunate of
Men.

CHAP. XX.

Happy is the Man thai may cbufehisown Buji^efs,

OH I ,the Bleffings of Privacy, and Leifure! The
Wifli of powerful and eminent, but the Privilege
only of Inferiors; who are the only People that live to-
iheaiifclvcs : Nay, tlie very Thought and Hope of it, is..

i 5

178 SENECA Chap.XJf.

a Coniblation, even in the middle of all die Tomults and
Hazards that attend Greatnefs. It was Auguflus his
Ptaycr that he might live to retire, and deliver himfelf
from public Buiineis : His Diicourfes were ftill pointing
ihat way, and the higheft Felicity which this mijghty
Prince had in Profpedl, was the dSveftfng himfelf of that
Sllaftrious State, which, how glorious foever in Shew, had
at the Bottom of it, only Anxiety and Care. Bot it is
one Thing to retire for Fleafure, and another Hilng for
Virtue : Which mull be adive, even' in that Retreat/ and
give Proof of what it has learned : For a good and a wi/e
Man docs in Privacy confult the Well-being of Pofferi*
ty. 2eno and Cryfifpus did greater Things in their Stu*
dies, than if they had led Armies, born Offices, or given
Laws : Which in truth they did, not to one City done,
but to all Mankind : Their Quiet contributed more to
the common Benefit than the S<wiat and Labour of other
People. That Retreat is not worth the while, which
does not alFord a Man gi eater and nobler Work than Bu«
finefs. There is no flavi(h Attendance upon gfeat Offi«
cers ; no CanvaiSng for Places, no making of Parties ;
no Difappointments in my Pretenfion to this Charge, to
that Regiment ; or to fucb, or fuch a Title ; no Envy of
any Man's Favour, or Fortune : but a. calm Enjoyment
of theeeneral Bounties of Providence, in Company with
a good Confcience. A wife Man is never fo bufy, as in
the folitary Contemplation of God, and the Works of
Nature. He withdraws himfelf to attend the Service of
future Ages. And thofe Counfels which he finds falu-
tary to himfelf, he commits to Writing, for the Good of
After- times, as we do the Receipts of fovereign Antidotes
or Balfams. He that is well employed in his Study, though
he may feem to do nothing'at all, does the greatell Things
yet of all others, in Affairs both human and divine. To
fapply a Friend with a Sum of Money, or giye my Voice
for an Office, thefe are only private and particular Obli-
gations ; but he that lays down Precepts for the govern-
ing of our Lives, and the moderating of our Faffions,
obliges human Nature, not only in the prefent^but iaall
fucceeding Generations.

u Xjf. 6( A fl A P>Tr Lit E. 179

Hi that would be qoietv' fet him repair to hb * Philo-
fofj^y, a Study that has Citdic with aH » pL;ur„^h^ u *
IbmofMen. The Eloqwtow of th^^f^^^^
Bar, or whaifocver elfe addrcflcs to the f*"'*'**!/-
People, 18 never without Enemies : But Philoibphy mind^
its own Bofinefsy and even Ae worft have am £^em
for it* There can never be filch a Confpiracy againft
Virtoe i the Wirrld can never be fo wicked, i>ut the
1^ Name of a Fhilofwpk^ ihalt ftill continue venerable'
and facred. And yet Philofophy itfe)f muft be hand-
ted modeflily, and with Caution. Biit what (hall we
&y of Cato then, for his meddling in the Brotl of a xavSl
War, and interpofing himfelf in tKe C^arrel betwixt
two enraged Princes \ He that when Rami was ^t into-
in»% FuBiom^ betwixt Pompty and Ca/afj decIai^ed him-
ielf againft M. I fpeak this of Cato*t laft Part, for
in his former Time the Commonweakh wair aiade un^
£t for a wife Man's Adminiftrationr. All he could do
then, was but bawling, and beating of the Air: One
while be was logged, and tambled % the Rabble, fpit
spon, and dragged oat of the Forum, and then again hnr-
ried oat of the Senate-honfe to Priibn. There aire fome
Things which we propound originally, and ethers that
lidi in as acoefibry ft> another Propofickm. If a wife Man
retire, it is 00 Matter whether he 4oes it becaufe the
Commonwealth was wanting to him, or becalife he wa»
wanting to it. Bat, to what Hepublic fball a Man be-
take himielf ? Not to Atbim^ where Aetata W2£5 conw
demned, and whence 'ArifiotU ied for fear lie ihould
have been condemned too; and where Virtoe was op-
preiled by Envy. Not to Carthage y where there was no^
thing but Tyranny, InjulHce, Cruelty, and Ingratitude.
There is (carce any Government to be found, that wiU
either endure a wife Man, or which a wife Man will en-*
4iare: So that Privacy is made neceiTary, becaufe the only
Thing which is better, is no where to be had. A Man
may commend Navigation, and yet cautian us ngaioD:
thofe Seas that are troubkibme and dangerous : So thac
he does as good command me not to weigh Anchor, that
commends Sailing only npon thcfe Terms. He that is
a Slave to Bufineis is the mod wretched of Slaves.

16

iSo SENECA Chap. XX.

S UT h$*w Jbmil I get myfilf at Uhnh /" * W€ caa
% jL f -J I'un any Hazards for Money; take
f ^ ^'^L /i * any Pains for Honour; and why do
bi punba/id at ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^ fomcthing ajfo for
««jp Kate. Leip^j^ ^^ Freedoih; without which

we mud exped to live and die in a Tumult : For, To
long as we live in public^ BuiiDers breaks in upon us,
as one Blow dnves on another ; and there ir^no' avoid-
ing it with either Modelty or Quiet. It is a kind of Whirl*
pool that fucks a Man in, and he can never difengage
himfelf. A Man of Bufinefs cannot in Truth be faid to
live, and not one of a thoufand underilands how to do
it : for how to live, and how to die, is the Le£bn of e-
very Moment of our Lives : All other Arts have their
MaHers. As a bufy Life is always a miferable Lifet Co
is it the grcaieft of all Mifcries, to be perpetually em-
ployed upon other People^ s Bufinefs \ for to fleep, to
jpat to drink at their Hours ; to walk their PaC€» and to
love and hate, as they do» is the vileft of Servitude^.
Now, though Bufinefs muA be quitted, let it not be done
unfeafonably ; the loDg( r we defer it, the more we en-
danger our Liberty; and yet we muft no more fly before
the Time, than linger when the Time comes; or how-
ever, we muft not love Bufinefs for Bufinefs Sake ; nor
indeed do we, but for the Profit that goes along ^ith it:
For we -love the Reward of Mifcry, though we hate the
Mifery it(eif. Many People, \ know, feek Bufinefs with-
out chufing ir, and they, are even weary of their Lives
without it, for want of Entertainment in their own
Thoughts: The Hours are long, and hateful to them
when they are alone, and they feem as fhort on the
other fide in their Debauches. When they are no longer
C ttfdi.iotes^ they are Suffragants : When they give over
other People's Bufinefs, they do their own; and pretend
Bifinef", but they make it, and value themfelves upon
bcinjj thooghtMen of Employment. Liberty is the Thing
which they are perpetually a wi(hing, and never come to
obtain : A Thing neither to be boughtj nor fold; but a
Man mull afk ic of himfelf, and give it to himfeif. He
that has given Proof of his Virtue in public, fhould do
well ^o make trial of it in private, alfo. It is not that So-
litude, or a Country Life teaches Innocence or Frugali-

Chap. XX, Of A H A P FY L f F E. %ȴ

ty i but Vice (ails of itfelf, without WitAtfle; and Spec^
tators ; for the Thing it deiigns is to be taken notice of*.
Did ever any Man |>ttt on rich X^loaths not^ to be feen F
Ofpread the Pomp of his Luxury, where no Body was
10 take notice of it? If it were not for Admirers, and
Spe&atorSy there would be no Temptations to Excefs ;*
the very keeping of as from exppiing them, cures us of
doiiring them, ror Vanity and Intemperance are fed with-
Oftentacion.

He that has lived at Sea in a Storm, let him * retire,
and die in the Haven i but let his Retreat « ^ , . „ .
be without Oftentation, and, wherein ^fi^'f''^ y V
he may enjoy himfclf with a good i k j

Confcience, without the Want, the Fear^ '^^''''^ ^•'^'•
the Hatred, or the Defire of any Thing; Not out of a
malevolent Deteftation of Mankindj but for Satisfadioi^,.
and Repo&r He that ihuns both Bufmefs, and Men,
either out of Envy, or any other Difcontent, his Retreat
is but to the Life of a Mole : Nor does he live to him*
{elf, as a wife Mangoes, but to. his Bed, his Bejiy, and
his Lulls. Many People Teem to retire out of a Weari*
nefs of public Affairs, and the Trouble of £)irappoint-
ments; and yet Ambition finds them out even in that
Rece(s, into which Fear and Wearinefs had cafl them ;
and fo does Luxury, Pride, and mod of the Diflempers of a
public Life. There are many that liVe clofe, not that.
they may live fecqrely, but that they may tranfgrcrs
inore privately; it is their Coo fcience,. not their Statef,.-^
that make them keep a Porter; for they live at fuch a
Rate, that to be feen before they be aware, is to be de-
leted. Crutej faw a young Man walking by hiinfeir;
Hawe a Care^ fays he, cfleivd Company. Some Men a e
bufy in Idlenefs, and make Peace, more laborious and
troub^efome than War: Nay, and more wicked too,
when they beftovv it upon fuch Lufts and other Vices,
which even the Licence of a military Life would not
endure. We cannot call ihefe People Men of Leifure,
that are wholly taken up with their Pleafures. A trouble*
{bme Life is much to be preferred before a flothful one,
and it is a flrange Thing, methinks, that any Man
ihould fear Death, that has buried himfelf alive; as

8

ifli S E N'^B C a Ck^.KjC.

Privacy, wkhottt Lettervi is b«t ihe boffittg-of a Msn
quick.

Trerb are feme that make a Bodk cf their * Retreat,
4 g, -mjr ^ which is but a kind of lazy Ambition :
. n aT!! ''f They retire to make Paople taJk of
t^ bi taiku of. ^^j^^^ whe/cas I woold rather withdraw

to fpeafe with myfetf. And what flial! that be, but that
which we are apt to fpeak of one another ? I will fpeak
ill oi myfelf; I will examine* accafe, and paniih my
lafirmi in* I have no de(ign to be cryM op for a great
Mao» that Ims renounced the World in a Contempt of
the vanity and Madnefs of human Life; I blame no*
body but myfelf, and I addrefs only to myfelf. He
that comes to me for Help is mifiaken, for I am not a
Phyfician but a Patient* And I ihall be well enough
content to hare it iaid, when any Man leaves me, /
$ ok him fir a baffy^ and a JidrneJ Man^ and truly I Jin J
no filth moittr, I had rather have my Retreat pardoned,
than envied. There are fome Creatures that confound
f heir Footing about their Dens, that they may not be
found out, and fo ihould a wife Man in the Cafe of
Retirement. When the Door is open, the Thief paflfcs
it by, as not worth his while; but when it is bolted
and fealed, it is a Temptation for Peojple to be pry*
ing. To have it iaid» That/uch a ont is tii*ver out of
hit Stvdy, and feis no body, &c. this fumiihes Matter
. for Difcourie. He that makes his Retirement too ftrift
and fevere, does as good as call Company to take notice
of it.

EvtRY Man knows his owil Conffitution. One eaies
rtfi r.L his Stomach by Vomit, another fupports

Philo/ofhyjuires.^ with good Nouriftiment : He7hat

**** ing, and every Man applies to the Part

that is moft infirm. He that -fliews a gouty Foot, a
lame Hand, or contradcd Nerves, fhall be permitted to-
He ftill, and attend his Cure. And wl\v not fo in ther
Vices of his Mind? Wemuft difcharge all Impediments,
and make way for Philofophy, as a Study inconfiflent
with common Bufinefs. To all other Things we muft
' deny ourfelves openly and frankly : When we are fick,
we lefufe Viiits, keep ourfelves clofe, and lay afide ^

3

-Chip.TtXL ^ A fiA'l^PV LIFE. i%

public Carear; and 'fflill «re ndt da as mtieh w^en wt
])h!foibpU£e ? Btiiinefs is^ the Drodgefy of the Worlds
and^ only fit for Slavic ; bat Cpnteniplatiem n the Worit
of wife Mm. Not bat that SoHtnde and Company fnaf
be allowed to take Aeir Turns : The dne treates In us
the love of Mankind, and the other that of ^>urfef v^s ;.
Solitude relkves us when we are fick of Company ; and
Converfadon» when we are wetry of being alone; f^
that the one cures the other. TJkre is nit Matr^ in £ne,.
/o mifirahle as be thut is At a Lvfs hmjo to ffmi htt
Time* He is refllefs in his Thoughts, undeady in his
Counfels; diflatisfied with the prefent, folicitons fo^
the future : whereas he that prudently computes his
Hours and his Bufmefs, does not only fortify himfelf
againft the common Accidents of Life, but improves the
moft rigorous Difpenfations of I^vldence to his Com*
fort; and ftands firm under all the Trials of humai^
Weaknefs.

riMii*

CHAP. XXL

The Contempt rf Death makei all the Mifirits efUfi

tafy t9 us. .

9 ' '

IT is a hard Tafk to mafier the natural Defire of Life,
by a philofaphical Contempt of P^th ; and Co con-
vince the World that there is no hurt in it» and crufli a»
Opinion, thtrt was brought up with us from our Cradles*
AVhat He!p \ What Encouragement ? What (hall we fay
to human Frailty, to carry it fearlefs through the Fury
of Flames, and upon the Points of Swords ? What Rhe^^
toric ihall we ufe, to bear down the untverfal Confent of
People to fo dangerous an Error ? the captious, and fcM
perfine Subtiities of the Schools will neVer do the Work#
Thefe fpeak many Things (harp, but utterly unneceffary,
and vord of Efieft. The Truth of it is, there is but one
Chain that holds ail the World in Bondage, and that i«
the Love of Life. It is not that \ propound the making
of Death fo indifferent to us, as it is whether a Man's
Hairs be even or odd : Fo* what wi^h^f-Lo^d, and mi

i«^ S £ K B C A CkMp.XSL.

iapUoted Dcfire in every Thing of preierriiie itfelf, and
a Jong Acquaintance betwixt the Soul and Bod/; Frieods
Biay be loth to part, and Death may cany an Appearance
of Evily though in Truth it is itfelf no Evil at all. Be-
fide that, we are to go to a ib-angc Place, in the Dark,
and under great Uncertainties of our future State ; Co that
People die in TeKor, becauie they do not know whithe^
they are to gOr and they are apt to fancy the woril of
what they do not underiland: Thefe Thoughts are In?
deed fufficient to flartle a Man of great Refolution, with-
ojt a wonderful Support from above. And moreover,
OJr natural Scruples, and Infirmities, are affiled by the
Wits and Fancier of all Ages, id their infamous, and hor-
rid Defcription of another World i Nay, taking it for
granted, ihat there will be no Reward and Punifhmenr,
they are. yet more afraid o£an Annihilation, than of Hell
ixfclf.

But, what is it we fear? OifJ It is a terrible Thing I0
• r • V 11 4 ^'^' Well ! and is it not better once to

J- n "".t - ^iiffcr.it. • thaajdtttt^5 tofeat it^ The
fear Ueaifj. ^^^^^ j^^^j^. ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^,^^ ^^^ ^^^

ie/oreme* How. many lilandsr are fwallowed up in the
Sea? How many Towns do we fail over? Nay, how
mahy Nations are %vhoHy loft, either by Inundations^
or Earthquakes ? - And f^W I. be afraid of my little Body ?
Why (hould I, that am fure to die, and that all other
Things that are mortal, be ieaiiul of coining- to my laft
Uafp myfelf ? it is the Fear of Death that makes us
baf(^, and troubIe$ and deflro)-s the Life that we would
preferve: T hat aggravates ali Cir cum fiances, and makes
them form id abje. We depend but upon a £ying Mo-
ment. Die we mu(l 9 bnt when?. What is that to os i^
It is the Law of Nature, the Tribute of Mortals, .and the
Remedy of all Evils, it is only the Difguife that affrights
us ; as Children that a-e terrified with a Vizor. T2:ke
away the Inliruments of Death, the Fire, the Ax, the
(.guards, the Executioner, the Whips and the Racks ;
Take away the Pomp, I fay, and the Circumftances that
accompany it, and Death is no more than what my ^lave
)cilerday contemned : The Pain is nothing to a Fit of
the Stone i if it be tolerable, it i^ not great ; and if into-
Jerabl' , it cannot la$ long. There is nothing that Na«

Chap.XXL Of A HAPPY LIFE. iBj

tore has made necei^y; which is mare eafy than Death;
We are longer a coining into the World, than going ont:
of it; and there is not any Minute of our Lives> where-
in we may not reafonably expeA it. Nay, it is but a
Moment's Work, the parting of the Soul and Body.
What a Shame is it then to (land in Fear of any Thing fa
^ong, that is over-fo fooo ?

Nor is it any great Matter to * overcome this Fear ;
For we have Examples as well of the ma-t j^ ^ n .l
meanefi of Men, as of Xki^ great eft ""J^l^^-^f^^^th
that have done it. There was a " '^-^* <^verccme.
Fellow to' be expofed opon the Theatre, who in dif-^
dain thruft a Stick down his own Throat, and choked
himfelf: And anotlier on the fame Occafion, pretending^
to nod opon the Chariot, as if be were afleep, cad his
Head betwixt, the Spokes of the Wheel, and kept his
Seat until his Neck was broken. Caligula, upon a
JDifpute with Ca/ti us Julius: J)9 Ml flattir your/elf , fays^
he,yffr / hafvi given Ordtrs to put you /« Death, I thank
y^ur moft gracious Majefty for it^ fays Cant us ; giving ta
underftand, perhaps, that under his Government, Death
was a Mercy : For he knew that Caligula feldom failed..
of being as good as his Word in that Cafe. He was at.
Play when the Officer ca ried him away to his Execuy'
tion, and beckoning to the Centurion, Pray, fays he,,
nvill you hear me nuitnefs, ijohen 1 am dead an i gone y that
1 had the hettir of the Game, He was a Man exceed-'
iogly beloved and lamented: A«d for a Farewel, after*
he had preached Moderation to his Friends : 1 <?«, fays
he, are here dif^uting about the Immortality of the S^K
and lam going to learn the Truth of it \ if I dfo-vtr any
Thing upon that Point, you Jball hear\f it. Nay, the
moft timorous of Creatures, when they fee there is no.
escaping, they oppofe themfelves to all Dangers; the
Defpair gives them Courage, and the Ncceifity over-
comes the Fear. Socrates was thirty Days in Prifon
after his Sentence, and had Time enough to have:
fiarved himfelf, and fo have prevented the PoiHin j but,
he gave the World the Bleffingof hts Life as long as
be could, and took that fatal Draught, in the Medita-
tion, and Contempt <^ Death. MarctlUnus, in a Deli-I^
beration upon Death, called feveral of his Friends aboutt

.i«& S « N B C A Cb9p.XXI«

lam: One was fetrfol, and advifecl what heliimftlf wonld
l»?e done m the Cafe: Another gave the CooDfei
which he thought tiarceUinus would like beft : Bot a
Friend of his, that wa» a Stoick^ and a iloot Man> rea-
foned the Matter to him after thii Manner ; Marteili-
nttSf do not tronbie jouiifelf as if it were kidk a nughtf
BoAnefs that you have now in Hand ; it is not)HDg to*
Ih/ei alt jrour Servants doit, nay, your veiy Beail» too;
but to JU honefUyy and refolutely, that is a great Point.
Consider with yourfelf, there is nothing plea^nt in Life,
but what you have tafted already, and rhat which is to
come is bctt the (anre over again : And how many Men
are there in the World, that rather chufe to die, than
to fuiler the nanfeous Tcdioufncfs of the Mepetition^?
Upon which Difcourfe he fafted hin»feif to Death. *Jt
Was the Cuftom of Pacurvius to iolemnize, in a kind of
Pageantry, every Day, his own Funerals. When he had
fwilled and gormandised, to a loxtirioos and beaftly
Excefs, he was carried away from Supper to Bed, with
this Sohg and Acclamation, Ht has l*veJ, he has Unntl.
That which hcdid in Lewdnefs, woald become us to do
in Sobriety and Prudence, li^i fhall pitafe God to
«dd another Day t9 our Lives kt us thanicfully receive
it ; bat however. It is our happveit and fecuret Courfe,
fa to compofe ourfelves To-night^ that we may have no
anxious Dependence upon To morrow. Ht that com /ay ^
I havt ii'Vfd th'rs Day^ makes the next char again*

Death is the worft that either the Severity of the
sj L J r -r L^ws or the Cnielcy of Tyrant* can int*
nsihatiiejfi/ti pofeopon us ; and it is the utmoft Extent
Vsatb/eatsnih ^ ^^e Dominion of Fortune. He that
^oif^. is fortMed againft that, maft confe^uent-

Jy be fuperior to all other Difficulties that wtt bot in the
way to it* Nay, and on fome Occafiofis it requires
more Courage to live than to die. He that is not pre-
|)ared for Death, (hall be perpetually troubled, as weti
with vain Apprchenfions, Its with real Dangers. It is
«ot Death itfelf that is dreadful, but the Pear of it that
goes before it. When the Mind is under a Conftema-
tion, there is no State of Life that can pleafe us ; for
we db not fo much endeavour to avoid Mifthiefs as to
4[i\tk away from them; and the greateft Slaughter is «poQ

Chap. XXL Of A HAPPY LIFE. itf

a flying Enemy. Had not a lifan better breathe out his
lafl; once for all> than lie agonizing in Pains, confam*
ing by Inches^ lofing of his Stood by Drops ? and yet
how many are there that are ready to betray their Coua^
try, and therr Friends, and to proftitute their vefy Wives
and Daughters, to preierve a miferable Carcafe ! Mad-
men and Children have bo Apprehenfion of Death> and
it were a Shame that our Reafon fhould not do as modi
toward our Security, as their Folly. But the great Mat-
ter is to die confiderately, andchearfully, upon the Foun->
d^tion of Virtue ; for Life in itfelf is Ir^iome ', and on*
ly Eating and Drinking in a Circle.

How many are there, that, betwixt the * Apprehen-*
fions of Death and the Miferies of Life, ^ \*f i %£^^,^a
are attJieir Wit's End what to do with ^^^^^^^^F
them&lves ? Wherefore let us fortify our- '*
ielves againft thofe Calamities from which the Prince is
no mofe exempt than the Beggar, fontfty the Great
had his Head taken off by a Boy and an Eunuch (young
Picltmfi nndPHotittuj.J d!z//^«/« commanded the IVibune
Decimus to )sM\ Leptdu: i and another Tribune /C^/Sf
rau) did as much for CaliguUp, Nevei* was any Man
jfo greats but he was as liaUe to fuffer Miichief, as
he wa< able to do it* Has not a Thief, or an Ene^
ixiy, your Throat at his Mercy ? Nay, and the meaiu
eft of Servants has the Power of Life, and Death over
bia Mafter; for, whofoever contemns his own Life^majr
Be Mafter of another Body's. Vou will £nd in Story,
that the Difpleafure of Servants has bec^ as fatal as
that of Tyrants : And what matters ii^ the Power of
him we fear, when the Thing we fear is in tyery Body's
Power ? Suppofe I fall into the Hands of an Enemy^.
and the Conqueror condemns me to be led in triumph t
It 18 but carrying me thither whither I ihould have gone
without him ; toat is to iay toward Death, whither (
have been marching ever fincc I was born. It is the
Fear of our laA Hour that difqoiets all the Re^ By the
JuHice of all Conilitutions, Mankind i^ condemned to «
capital Puni(hmeat : Now» how defpicaUe would th^C
Man appear, who being fentenced to Death in commoft
with the whole World, fhould only petitiooi that he
might be the lafl Man brought to the Block ? Some Men
are particularly afiaid of Thunder, and yet extremely

tta ff E .N "E-^ C A Chap. XXL

carelefs of other, and of greater Dangers; as if that were
all they have to fear. Will not a SwCrd, a Stone,, a
Fever do the Work as well ? Sappofe the fiolt fhould
hit us, it were yet braxxr to die with a Stroke, than with.
St bare Apprehenfion of it: Befide the Vanity of imagin-
ing, that Heaven and Earth (hould be put into (uch a
Diforder on*y for the Death of one Man. A good and
a brave Man n not moved with Lightning, Temped, or
Earthquakes : But perhaps he would volnntarily plunge
himfelfinto that Gulf, where otherwife we fhould only
fall ; The cutting of a Corn, or (wallowing of a Fly,
h enough to difpatch a Man ; and it is no Matter how
great that is^ that brings me to my Death, fo long as
Death itfelf is but little. Life is a fmall Matter ; but it
is a Matter of Importance to contemn it. Nature thaC
begat us, expells os; and a better, and a fafer Place is
provided for as. ' And what is Death but a ceafing to be
what we were before ? We are kindled, and put out : To
ceafe to be, and not to begin to be, is the fame Thing.
We die daily ; and while we are growing, our Life dc-
creafes : Every Moment that pafies, takes away Part of
it : All that is pad is lod : Nay, we divide with Death
the very Inilant that we live. As the laft Sand in the
Glafs does not meafm e the Hoor, but f!ni(hes it, fo the
laft Moment that we live does not make up Death, but
concludes. There are fome that pray more earneftly for
Death, than we do for Life ; but it is better to receive
h chearfully when it comes, than to haden it before the
Time.

BUr^ What is it that nve li*ve any Ing^r for f Not

7 h t E i ^'■°*^' Pleafurcs; for thofe wc have tailed
19 fw aP 'ni ^^,^^ g^^ ^^^j.^ ^^^^ ^ Satiety : So that

Oould^eci^n ^^^^ .^ noPoinfof Luxury that is new
• ^^' to us ; But a Man tuouU he iothto Uaut

his Country and bis Friends beinnii inm* 1 hat is to Cy,
he would have them go firft ; for that is the leaft Part
©f his* Care. Welt! hut I nvoulidfain live to do more goadt
itnd di/c barge my/elf in /V O^Ms If Life: .4 s if to die were
«ot the Duty of tvtty Man that lives. We are loath to
leave our PoiTeflions ; and no Man fwims well with his
Luggage. Wc are all of us equally fearful of Death,
and ignoxaat of Life : Bu^t what can be more ihamefiih*.

Chap. XXI. Of A HAPPY LIFE. x^

than to be folicitous upon the Brink of Security ? If
Death be at any Time to be feared, it is always to be
feared ; but, the way never to fear it, is to be often
thinking of it. To what end is it to put off for a little
while, that which we cannot avoid ? He that dies does
but follow him that is dead. ff^hy are nue then fo long
afraid of that, ijohic^ is fo little a 'while a doing ?' How
xniferable are thoife People that fpend their Lives in the
difmal Apprehenfions of Death ! For they are befet on
all Hands^ and every Minute in dread of a Surprize.
We muft therefore look about us, as if we were in an
Enemy *s Country; and coriiider our lall Hoar, not as a
Punilhment, but as the Law of Nature : The Fear of it
is a continual Palpitation of the Heart, and he that
overcomes that Terror, (hall never be troubled with
any other. Life is a Navigation ; we are perpetually
wsdlowing, and dalhing one againfl another : Sometimes
we fuifer Shipwreck, but we are always in Danger,
and in Expectation of it. And what is it when it comes,
but either the End of a Journey, or « Paflage ? It is as
great a Folly to fear Deaths as to fear Old Age^ nay, as
to fear Life itfelf ; for he that would not die, ought
not to live, iince Death is the Condition of Life, titf-
iide, that it is a Madnefs to fear a Thing that is cer-
tain, for where there is no Doubt, there is no Place for
Fear.

We are ftill chiding of • Fate ; and even thofe that
cxaft the moft rigorous Juftice betwixt » 7- *. • . /
Man and Man, are yet themfelves un- ' ^ ^'^» '' ^^ «^*7
juft to Providence. Why ^was fuch a one ^ *' '*
taken aivay in the Prir^^e of his Tears f As if it were the
Number of Years that makes Death eafy to us, and not
the Temper of the Mind. He that would live a little
longer to Day, would be as loth to die a Hundred Years
hence. But which is more reafonable, for us to obey
Nature, or fo? Nature to obey us ? Go we muft at lall,
and no matter how foon. It is the ^yo^k of Fate to
make us live long, but it is the Bufinefs of Virtue to
make a Ihort Life fuificient. " Life is to be meafured by
Adlion, not by Time: a Man may die old at thirty,
and young at fourfcore. Nay the one lives after Death,
and the other perigiei before he died, I look upoa

%^ .SENECA CSap-XXi;.

iVgie amonfi; Ae Eflfedls of Chance. How long I (hall
live is in the Power of others, but it is in my own,, how
M/dU The largeft Space of Time, is to. live nntil a Man
is wife. He that dies of old Age, does no more than

fo to Bed, when he is weary. Death is the Teft of
life, and it is that only which di(cov«rs what we are»
and diftinguifhes betwixt Oftentation and Virtue. A
Man may difpute, cite great Authorities, talk learnedly,
huff it out, and yet be rotten at Heart But let us
foberly attend our Buiinefs ; and iince it is uncertaia
nvhen, or nvJIfen we (hall die, let ns look for Death in
all Places, and all Times : We can never dudy that
Toint too much, which we can never come to experi-
ment, whether we know it or no. It is a blefled Thing
to difpatch the Bufine(s of Life before we die; and then
to expe6l Death in the Pofleffion of a happy Life. He is
the great Man, that is willing to die, when his lAk is
pleauint to him. An honeft Life is not « greater Good
than an honed Death. How many brave young Mcn%
by an Inftind of Nature, are carried on to gre^t A&ions,
and even to the Contempt of all Hazards ?

Jt is childifli to go out of the * World groaning, and
• It ' b'Mi&to ^^^^%* ** we came into it. Oor
.. I** ^jJi Bodies mud be thrown away as die

«<»' «!• Sccundine that wraps up the Infant,
the other being only the Covering of the Soul. We
fhall then difcover the Secrets of Nature; theDarkneis
fhall be difcufled, and our Soiils irradiated with Light
i and Glory.: A Glory without a Shadow ; a Glory that
' fhall furrAuad ns, and from whence we (ball look down,
and fee Day and Night beneath us. . If we cannot lift np
our Eyes toward the Lamp of Heaven without dazzling,
what (hall we do when -we Come to behold the divine
Light in its illudrious Original ? That Deaih which we
fo much dread and decline, is not a Determiuatioc, but
the Intermiinon of a Life> which will return again. Ail
thofe Things that are the very Caufe of Life, are the
Way to Death : We fear it as we do Fame ; but it is a
great Folly to fear Words. Some People are. fb impa-
tient of Life, that they are dill wifliing for Death; bat he
that wilhes to die, does nottJefire it : Let us rather wait
God^6 Pleafure, and pray for Health and Uk. If we

ClM^.KXn. of A HAPPY-LIFE. 1911

have a Mind to Uva, \Aty do we wUh to die? If we have
at mind to die, we may do it without talking of it. Men
are a gi«at deal flK>re refolute tn the Artide of Deaiif it-
Mf, than tkcy are aboat the CiroMnftances of it. For
it gives a Man Courage to ooniider that his Fate ia ine-
vitable; the Hew Approaches of Death are dw moil
tmuUeibme to us; as we iee many a Oladtotor^ who»
upon his Wounds, will dire^ his Adverfary's Weapon
to hie very Heart; though Iwt timorous perhaps in the
Combat. There are £>me chat have not the Heart either
to live or die, that is a fad Cafe. Bat this we are fore of»
The Fear of Dmth is a continual Slave/y^ at thi Contemft
pf it is certain Liberty*

- CHAP. xxir.

Confolations againji Death, from the ProviAnce^ and'

tie N4cejfttyj>f iu

THIS Life is. only a Prelude to Eternity, where we
are to exped another Original, and another State
of Things : We have no Profped of Heaven here,^ but
at apiiUace; Jet us therefore expe£t our lafl, and de*
cretoiy Hour with Courage. The laft (I fay) to oar
Bodies, but not to our Minds ; our Luggage we muii
leave behind us, and return us naked out of the World,
as we came into it. The Day which we fear as our lail» .
is but the Birth-Day of our Eternity ; and it is the only
way to it; fo that what we fear as a Rock, proves to be
but a Pert ; in many cafes to be deiired, never to .be
refufed ; and he that dies young, has only made a quick
Voyage of it. Soaie are becalmed ; others cut it away
before Wiod ; and we Uve jud as we fail : Firft, we run
oar Childhood oux of iight; oar Yoath next ; and then
our Middle Age ; after that follows Old Age, and.briogs
us to the comoion End of Mankind, it is a great Provi-
dence that we have more Ways out of the World, than,
we have into it Our Security Hands upon a Point, the
"^Zi"^ Article of Death. It draws a great many Bleifings
JAiCo a very narrow Compa&; a^d although the Fruit of

9^z SENECA Chap. XXII.

'It does not (eem to extend to the Defanfl, yet the Dif-
'£calty of it is more than balanced by the Contf mplation
t>f the Futare. Nay» fuppofe that all the Bufmefs of
this World fhoald be forgotten ; or my Memory tra-
duced, What is all this to me ? J ba*ve done n^ Duty.
Undoubtedly that which puts an end to all other £vil«»
cannot be a very great Evil itfelf ; and yet it is no eafy
Thing for Flefh and Blood to defpife Life. What if
.Death comes ? If it does not flay with os, why ihoald
we fear it ? One hangs himfelf for a Miftrefs, anodier
leaps the Garret- Window to avoid a choleric Mafter ; a
third runs away, and ftabs himfelf, rather than he will
he brought back again. We fee the Force even of our
ftfirmities,and (hall we not then do greater Things for the
Love of Virtue ? To fuffer Death is but the Law of Na-
ture ; and it is a great Comfort that it can be done bat
once : Tn the very Convuffions of it, we have this Con-
iblatioiiy that our Pain is near an End, and that it frees
us from all the Miferies of Life. What it is we know not;
and it were ra(h to cocidemn what we do not underfland:
But this we prefume; either that we (hall pafs out of this
into a better Life, where we /hall live with Tranquillity
and Splendor in diviner Manfions ; or elfe return to our
firlt Principles, free from-the Senie of any Inconvenience.
There is nothing immortal, nor many things lafting;
but by divers Ways every Thing comes to an End. What
an Arrogance is it then, when the World itfelf Hands con-
demned to a DiiTolution, that Man alone (hould expe£l
to live for ever ? It is unjuft not to allow unto the Giver
the Power of difpoiing of his own Boanty ; and a Folly
only to value the prefent. Death is as much a Debt as
Money ; and Life is but a Journey towards it. Some
difpatch it fooner, others latter ; but we omfl all have
the fame Period. The Thunder bolt is undoubtedly juft,
that draws, even from thofe that are ftrock with it, a Ve-
neration. A great Soul takes no Delight in ftaying with
the Body, it confiders whence it came, and knows whi-
ther it is to go. The Day will come, that fhall feparate
this Mixture of Soul and Body ; of divine and human ;
My Body I will leave where J found it ; my Soul I will
reftore to Heaven, which would have been there already,
but for the Clog that keeps it down : And befide, how

Clup.XXIK Of A HAPPY LIFE. 19s

many Men have been the work for longer living, that
might have died with Reputation, if they had faNeen
iboner taken away? How many Difappointments of
hopeful Youths, that have proved difTolute Men ? Over
and ^bove the Ruins, Shipwrecics, Torm^ts, Poirons
that attend long Life: A Bleffing Co deceitful, that if a
Child were in Condition to jud^e of it, and at Liberty
' to refufe it, he would not^taike it*

* What Providence has made neceflary, human Pru*
dence fliould comply with chearfuUy : m ietl .n jl
-And there is a Ncceffity of Death, (6 ^f^^^^y^^^
that Ncceffity is equal, and invincible. Tt' ^l^^"??
No Man has Caufe of Complaint for ^""^ ^^''If,
that which every Man muft fulFcr as ^f*^^ j?'*'^
well as himfclf. When we JbouU die, ^^^^V^9*
.we ijoili noti and when we nmuU not, we mufi : But oar
Fate is hxed, and uoavoidable is the Decree. Why do
we then ftand trembling when the Time comes ? Why
do we not as well lament that we did not live a thouiand
Years ago, as that we (hall not live a thouland Years
hence ? It is but trav.elling the great Road, and to the
Place whither we mull all go at lafl. It is but fubmit-
ting to the Law of Nature, and to that Lot which the
.whole World has fufiered that is gone before us ; and ib
,xnuft they too that are to come after us. Nay, how
many thoufands, when our Time comes, will exjpire in
the fame Moment with us ? He that will not rollow,
ihall be drawn by Force : And is it not much better* now
to do that willingly, which we fihall otherwife be made •to
do in fpite of our Hearts ? The Sons of mortal Parents
muH exped a mortal Pofterity; Death is the End of
^reat and fmaU. We are born helplefs, and expofed to
the Injuries of all Creatures, and of all Weathers. The
very NeccifiLries of Life are deadly to us. We meet
with our Fate in our Difiies, in our Uups, and in the very
Air we breathe; nay, our very Birth is inaufpicious, for
.we come into the- World weeping; and in theMidcUeof
oar Designs, while we are meditating great Matters, and
ftretclhingof our Thoughts to After-ages, Death cuts us
off; and our longeft Date is only the Revolution of a
few Years. One Man dies at the Table ; another goea
away in his Sleep; a third in his MiftrcfsV Arms; a

K,

«94 S B N E C A tliap.^aCQ;

foortlt It Mtboii another » ftttiw witk an Adder, or
cmfliod wkk the Firilof a Hotite. We have feveril
wa^i»our£iid« but the End itfelf, whidi is Death,
is ftill' the fame. Whether we die -by a Sword, by a
Halter, by a Potion* or by a Difeafe, it is all but Duak.
A Chfld dies in the Clouts, aad aa old Man at an hun-
dred ; they ace both mortal alake^ though the one goes
fooner than the other. All that lies betwixt th« Gradle
and the Grave* is imcertaki. If wecotapntethe Trouilfs^
the Life even of a Chfld is long ; if the Stimttrnt/sof die
Tajfage^ that of an oid Man is fliort; the wbok is flip-
tvery and deceitfal* and cml^. Death certaia; and yetaU
People complain of that which never deceived any Man.
Senech raifed himrelf from a finall Beginning, to a vaft*
Fortune, being very well flciiled in the Facalties both of
getting and of keeping* and either of them was faffi-
cient for the doing of his Bufiseis. He was a Man in-
finitely careful, both of his Patrimony, and of his Body.
He gave me a Mommg's Viik (fays our Author) and
after that Vifit he went away, and fpent the reft of the
Day with a Friend of hb that was defperately iick. At
Night he was merry at Sapper, and feized immediately
after with a Squinfy, which diipatched him in a few
Hours. Thia Man that had Money ac life in all Places*
and in the very Courfe^ arid Height of his Profperit]/!*
wa« thus cat off. How foohfii a Thing is it then for a
Man to flatter himfelf with long Hopes, and to pretend
to dtfpoie of the Fntore f Nay, the very Prefent flips
through our Fingers, and there is not that Moment which
we can call oar own. How vaiii a thing is it for us to
enter upon ProjeAs ? And to fay to ourfelyes, WeU, I^wiil
go hutidi fMrcbafe^ ^/charge J'uch Offices, fettle my Affmn^
and then retire ? We are all fj^ as born to the fame
Caiuaities ; ail equally frail, and uncertain of to-morrow;
At the very Aitar, where we pray for Life, we learn to
die, by feeing the Sacrifices killed before us. But there
is no need of a Wound, or fearching the Heart for if,
when the Noofe of a Cord, or the (mothering of a Pillow
will do the Work. All things have their Seafons ; they
begin, they increafe, and they die. 1 he Heavens and
the Earth grow old, and are appointed dieir Periods. -
That which we call De^cfa, is but a Paufe or Sufpenfion $

Chap.XXlL Of A HAPPTT LIFE. tjf

and in troth a Prpgreikto Lilb : jonly oar Thoughts look
downward opon the Body, and not ibr^ard apon things
to come.. ~ AU things under the San are mortal; Cities*
Efl^res-: A«d the time wM come when h (haU be at
Queftion where they were, and perchance whether ever
they had a fieiiig, orno ? Some wiU bt de^yed by
War ; odurs by Luxury, Fire, laamdaciont^ Earthquakes t
Why fiiinild it troable me diea to die, as a Poremnner
of an ainvei£d DiAlation ? A'great Mind fubmits itfelf
to God» and fofibrs wilfingly w4lat the Law of the Uni-
vcrfc wiH otherwife bnag to pafii upon Keceffity. Thar
good old Man ^4^ (iiho«gh with ene Foot in t^a
Grave) hdiw chearful a Miad ^eB>he bear ? He lives in
the View of Death, and contemplates hts own End v/kh
le& Concern of Thought or Countemmce than he would
do another Man's, It is a hard Leflbn, and we are a
k>og time a learning of it, to receive our Death without
tro^e, efpecially in the Cafe of Baffus. In other
Deaths there is a Mixtufve of Hope % a Difeafe may be
cured, a Fire quenched, a Ming Hoofe either propped
or avoided ; the 8ea a»ay fwallow a Maii, and throve
him ap again ; a Pavdon aiay interpofe betwi^it the Ax
and the Body ; but in the' Cafe of old Age there is no
Place for either Hopa or intereeffion. Let us live in our
Bodies therefere as if we were only to lodge in them thia
Night, and to leave them To-morrow. It is the freqitent
Thought of Death that muft fortify us againd the Ne«
ceffity of it. He diat has armed himfelf agaiitft Po¥er-i
ty» may perhaps come m live in Plenty. A Man may
ft^ngthen hnnfeif i^in(^ Pain, and yet live in a State c^
Health ; agai&ft the Lofs of Friends, and never loie
any: But he that fortifies himielf agai nil the Fear of
Death, fhall moft certainly have Occafion to employ
that Virtue* It ir the Care of a wife and a good Man
to look to hit Manners and Anions ; and rather how
well he lives, than how long \ For to die fooner or lat-
ter, is not the Bufinefs ; but to die well, or ill : For
Dioib bringt u$ /o ImiMftality%

K 2 ^ CHAP.

196 SENECA CIuip.XXUI.

CHAP. XXIII.
Againjl immoiiraU Sorrow fir tbi Death $/ Friends*

NEXT to the Encounter of Death in oar own Bo-
dies, the moft fenfible Osdamity to an honeft Maa
is the Death of a Friend; and' we are net in Tratfa,
without (bme generous Inftances of thoie that have pre-
ferred a Friend^s Life before their own ; and yet this
AiBiftioQy which by Nature is ib grievous to us, is by
Virtue and Providenccy made feiniliar, and eafy.

To lament the Death of a Friend is both * natural
^ ^ . . and tuft : A Sigh» or a Tear^ I would

^orro-w ivttbj ^^ ^^ y^ Memory « but no profufc
tn Bounds is «/- ^ obflinate Sorrow. Clamorous, and
o<wadie. public Lamentations are not fo much

the Effieds of Gri^f» as of Vain-glory. He (hat is fad-
deriii Company than alone, (hews rather the Ambition
of his Sorrow, than the Piety of it. Nay, and in the
Violence of bis Paflion, there fall out twenty things that
fkt him a laoffhing. At the long Run, Time cares all,
but it were better done by Moderation and Wifdcm.
Some People do as good as fet a Watch apon themfelvcs,
as if they were afraid that their Grief would make an
Efcape. The Oflentation of Grief is many times more
than the Grief itfelf. When any Body is within Hearing,
what Groans and Out-cries ! When they are alone, and
private, all is huih and quiet: So foon as any Body
comes in, they are at it again ; and down-they throw
themfelves upon the Bed ; fall to wringing of their
Hands, and wifhing of themfelves dead ; which they
might have executed by themfelves; bot their Sorrow
goes off with the Company. We forfake Nature, and
run over to the Pra^ices of she People, that never were
the Authors of any thing that is good. If Deftiny were
to be wrought upon by Tears,- 1 «%ould allow you ta
fpend your Days and Nights in Sadnefs and Mourning ;
tearing of your Hair, and beating of your Breaft ; bat if
Fate be inexorable, and Death will keep what he has
taken. Grief is to no purpofe. And yet I would not ad-
\i£e Infenfibility and Hardnefs 5 it were Inhumanity, and

CBap.XXIII. Of A HAPPY LIFE. 197

not Virtue, not to be moved at the Separation of familiar
Friends, and Relations: Now, in fach.Cafes» we cannot
command ourfelves ; we cannot forbear weeping, and
we ong^ not to forbear : Fat, let us not pafs the ^unds
bf Afledion, and run into Imitation : within thefe Li-
mits it is fome Eafe to the Mind.

A WISE Man gives way to Tears * in fome Cafes,
nnd cannot avoid them in others. When ^ ^
eneisftruck with the Surprises of ill /^^•'^///«.

News, as the Death of a Friend, or the V"*" r^*^ "7
like; or upon the laft Embrace of an f ^^^'^i/*^
Acqnamtance under the Hand of an Ex- '«''^''«^^ '»
ectttioner/ he lies under a natural Necef-
iity of weeping, and trembh'ng. In another Cafe we
may indulge our Sorrow, as upon the Memory of a
dead Friend's Converfation, or Kindnefs, one may let
fall Tears of Generofity and Joy. We favour the one,
and we are overcome by the ottier ; and this is well ;
but we are not upon any Terms to force them : They
may flow of their own Accord, without derogating from
the Dignity of a wife Man ; who at the fame time both
prelerves hts Gravity, and obeys Nature. Nay, there
la a certain Decorum even in Weeping ; for Excels of
Sorrow is asfooliih as profufe Laughter. Why do we '
not as well cry, when our l>ees that we took Pleafure
io» ihed their Leaves, as at the Lofs of other Satisfac*
tions ? When tlie next Seafon repairs them, either with-
the fame again, or others in their Places. We may
accujt Pate, but we cannot alttr it, for it is hard and in*
exorable, and not to be removed, either with Reproaches
er Tears. They may carry ut to the 1)iad^ but neves
Iving thtm ba^ again to us. If Reaibn does not put
an End to our Sorrows, Fortune never will : One is
pinched with Poverty ; another foliciieJ with Ambition,
and fears the very Wealth that he coveted. One is
troubled for the Lois of Children ; another for the Want
of them; fo that we (hall fooner want Tears than Mat-
ter for them ; let us therefore fpare that for which we
have ^ much Occafion* I do confefs, that in the very
parting of Friends those is fomething of an Uneafinefs
and Trouble ; . but it is rather voluntary than natural r

K3

J9< SENECA Cliap«XXJIL

and it » Cuilom noiv than Seoft^ ttitt afieds lu; wed^
fatlier impofe .a .Sorrow npoit ourielves than fobmit to
it ; as People ^ry when they have Company ; and when
no body looks on, all is well again. To motn^ with*
out Meafure. is Folly; and not to mourn at all, is Inien-
Ability . The bed Temper is betwtxt Pkty and Reafon;
to be ienfible, hut neither tranfported, nor caft down.
He that can put a.ftop to his T^ar» and Pkafnres wbev
he will, is fate. It i^an equaF Infelicity to be cither too
foft, or too hard. We are overcome by the one» and
^ we are put to ilruggk with the oth^r. There b a cer-^
tain Intemperance in that Sorrow that paiib the Ridet
of Modefty ; and yet gfieat Piely i& in many Cafes a
Difpenfation to good &laiM»ers. The Lois of a Son,
or of a Fcjend, cuts a Mao to the Heait^ and there is no
oppoilag the firft Violence of this Paffion ; but when a
Man c^tme^ oace to deliver himfelf up wbolly to La-
inenution$, he is to osdeffbrnd, that ^oagh feme Tears
deierve Compafion, others are yet rtdicaloiis. A Grief
|hat is^ frefii, £nds Pity, and Comfort » but whtA it is in*
vetera^e» it is laughed at, for it is eithe? connteriett^ or
ibolifli. Beiide that, to weep exceffivel^ for the Bead*
is an Affront to the Living. The mod joiifiable Cauie
of Mourning is to fee good Men come to ill £ods» and
Virtue opprcfl by the Int%aity of Fortune. Bat in this
Cafe too they either fuffer rdblntely, and yield os De«
light in their Courage, and Example ; or meanly, and
£> give OS the lefs Trouble for the Lofs« He that dies
cheau-fully dHes up my Tears, and he that dies whini^y
does not deferve them« I fiKmld bear the Death of
Friends and Children, with the fame ConHanqr that i
would expedk my own ; and eo more lament the one*
than fear the other. He that bethinks himfelf, how often
Friends will be pjMrted, will find more Timely among
she Living, than upon the Dead ; and the moft de%e«
. :iate Mourners are they that cared leaft for their Friends
when they were livtt>g; ibr they tUnk to redeem their
Credit for want of Kindnefe to the Living by extrava*
gaot Rw^ii^gs after the Dead. Some (I know) will ^ave
Gri^f to be oaty the petverfe Del^ht of aicftle6 JhGnd i
^4 Sorrows and Pieaf«resrio bp near %-km i and there

Chap.XXIII. Of A HA?Py LIFE. 19^

are, I am confident^ that find Joy even m their Tears,
But which is more barbaroas, to be inleiiiible of Grief
for the Death of a Friend, or to fifli for Fleaiiire in Grief^
-when a Son perhaps is baming, or a Friend expiring }
To forget one's Friend, to bary the Memory with the
Body; to lament out of Meafure, is all inhuman. He
that is gone, either would not have hi^ Friend tor-
mented, 4>r does not know that he is fb : If he does not
feel it, it is fuperflaous : If he does, it is unacceptable
to him. If Reaibn cannot prevail. Reputation may ;
for immoderate ^earning leflens a Man*8 Charader : It
is a fharaeful Thing for a wife Man to make the fFtari^
ntfs of Grieving the Remedy of it. In time, the moft
fhibborn Grief will leave us, if in Prudence we do not
leave that Mt.

B VT do I grieve for ray Friend's Sake, or for my • own ?
Why ihould I afllia myfclf for the Lofe <j,^ .
of him that is either happy, or not at J^'i^*^^^'^
ail in Being f In the one Cafe, it » ''a t » ^
Envy; and in the other, it is MadncT?. ^' !^ ^'"'
We m apt to fay, ^That nmM I gi'ire *""* ^"''"^'^
ufn him again^ mud to tnjvy his Crnnftr/atipn / / nua^
turner fid in his Company ; my Heart haped 'vobtnrver I
wmt him ; Invent him m^herruer I go : All that is to be
iaid is, fhi greater th Lefi, ihi greater is the Virtue to
overcome it. If grieving will do no good, it is an idle
Thing to grieve ; and if that whicli has befallen one
Man remains to all, it ts as imjuft to comphtin» The
whole Wei4d is upon March towards t^ ftme Point ;
why do we not cry for ourfelvcs that are to follow, as '
well as for him thaft is gone ^ft ? Why do we not as
well lament before-hand for that whtch we know will
be, and cannot pofiibty but be ? He is not gom but
/eat hfore. As there are many Things that he has loft,
fo Aere are many Things that he does not fear ; Aa
Anger, Jeidonfy, Envy, &c. Is he* not more happy in
defiring nothing, than miferable in> what he has loll f
We do not mourn for the abfeiit, why then for the
Detdt nAko are eficftually no other ? We have loft one
Bleffing, bot we have many left ; and (hadl not all thefe
Sttisfi&Qna fopport as againft one Sorsow t

^4»

aoo SENECA Chap. XXllL

Thb Comfort of having a * Friend tnay be taken
m jf -p ' J away, but not that of having had one*
, .^"* ^^ As there is a Sharpnefs in fome Fruits,
hJmTthCm. and a Bitterncfa in feme Wines that
^ /• *A^ * plcafes usy fo there is a Mixture in th^
F ' M'a Remembrance of Friends, where the

ten fptf. j^^ ^£ ^^ Company is fweetned again

by the Contemplation of their Virtues. In fome Re-
fpe6ts I have ]oft what I had ; and in othersj I retain
fliil what I have loft. . It is an ill Conftru^ion of Provi-
dence, to reflet only upon my Friend*s being taken
away, without any Regard to the Benefit of his being
once eiven me. Let us therefore make the bell of our
Friends while- we have them ; for how long we ihall
keep them, is uncertain. I Iiave loft a hopeful Son, bult,
how many Fathers have been deceived in their Expeda-
tions ? and how many noble Families have been deftroy-
cd by Luxury, and Riot ? . He that grieves for the Lofs
of a Son, what if he had loft a Friend ? And yet he that
has loft a Friend, has more Caufe of Jo/ that he once
had him, than of Grief that he is taken away. Shall a
Man bury his Fricndfiiip with his Friend ? We are on-
grateful foi^ that which is -paft, in hope of what is {o
come ; as if that which is to come would not quickly
be paft too. That which is paft we are fure of. We
jnav receive Satisfaflion, it is true, both from the Future,
and wJiat is already paft ; the one by Bxpeflation, and
the other by Memory ; only the one may poflibly not
come to pais, and it is impoflible to make the other not
to have been.

' But * there is no applying of Confolation to frefh*
« qt and bleeding Sorrow v the very Dif-

. f. ' \',^l coorfe irritates the Grief, and inflam^
4€^ng n^ttbthi .^ j^ .^ jj^^ ^ anfeafonahle Medicine
JitJI^ranJffrts j^ ^ ^j^^^^^ . ^j^^ ^^^ ^^^ Violence is
cfi^omm. ^y^^^ .J ^.jj ^ ^^^ traftable, and

endure the Handling* Thc^fe People whofe Minds are
nveakened by long Felicity, may be allowed to groan
and complain^ but it is otherways with thofe that have
led their Davs in Misfortunes. A long Courie of Ad-
verilty has this Good in it, that though it vexes a Body .
a great while, it comes to harden us at lalt: As a raw

f

Chap, XXIV. Of A H A P P y H-P E. 2«f

Soldier (hrinks a(^every Woundy and dreads the Surgeon
more than an £nemy ; . whereas, a Vittram fees his own
Body cut, and lamed» with as little Concern as if it
were another's. With the fame Reiolution ihoald we
fland the Shock and Cure of all Misfortunes ; we are
never the better for our Experience, if we have not y^
]earned to be miiierable. And there is no thought of
curing us by the Dlvetfion of Sports» and Entertainr
xnents ; we are apt to /all into Relapfes ; wherefore we
had better overcome our Sorrow/ than delude it.

CHAP. XXIV.
Confolatiom agatnji Banijhmmt^ and Bodily Pain^

IT is a Mafier-piece to draw Good out of Evil; and
by the Help of Virtue to improve Misfortunes ineo'
Bleffinjg«« ft is a Jad ConditiWy you 'will Jay, for a Mam
t9 hi parrid tki Frndom ^f bU vum Country. And ia
not this the Cafe of Thoufoads.that we meet every Day
in the Streets? Some, for Ambition ; others, to nego»
tiate» or for Curiofity, Ddight^ Friendihip, StndyJ Ex*
perience, Luxury^ Vanity> Difcontent ; Some to exerdfe
^etr Virtues, others, their Vices ; and not a few \o»
proftitute either their Bodies or their Eloquence ? To
pafs now from pleafant Countries into the worfl of Mands^
let them be never fo barren, or rocky, the. People never-
ib^barbarotts, or the Climate never fo intemperate; he
that is baniihed thither;^ (hall find many Strangers to live
there for t^eir Pleaiure. TheMjnd of Man is naturally
curious, and reftlefs '^ which is no Wonder, confidering;
lUcir divine Original : For heavenly Things are always
in Motion^; witnefs the Stars, and the Orbs, which are
perpetually moving, roUtng-, and changing of Place, and'
according to the I^w and Appointment of Nature. But:
here are no Woods, yon «ull fay, no Rivers ; no Gold^
9or Pearl ; nor Commodity for Traffic or Commerce ^
Bay». hardly Provifion enough, to keep the Inhabitaints^
ftomilarving. It is very right.; here are no Palacet i»
Mr artificial Gr^tdbs or Materials for Luxury^, and. Ear

MM S E N I C A CbaikXXnr.

c«6; bat welic vadmr the Prntaftba of tinrcB ; tnd
■ft poor CMtago for • Aomat, is more wortk than the
«Mft flufrniftBtnt Tomplty mkm that Cottage ii confo-
ctaled by ea honeft Mm ender the Guard of hk Virtue.
Shatt-tnv Mea thiak BenifhaieBt p'iefeos, whea lie wa^
tt^e iiidi Company aloag wMi himi )^ is there utf
IhMMftaienc but ylslde eaoagh ftr oorNecefities, asd n»
Kingdom it laffidcM for Soperinkies. It is the Miadl
that makes us rich in a Defart i and if dielody be but
kept aftivf , the Soal enjoys all ^iritiial FeBckies 19 a«
bandance. What fignifies the being baniihed from one
^t>ot bt GT&CTnd t6 anottl^r, to a Man that has his
Thoughts above, aadcan look £Drward> and backward,
and wherever h€ pitafer; and that wherever he is, has
the fame Matter to work ppon. ? The Body is but the
Prifon, or the Clog of Ae Miitd^ fobjefted to Paaiih-
xnents, Robberies, Difeafes ; but the Mind is iacredy and
fpiritj[iai» and liable to no Violence. Js it that a Man
Aall want Garments, or Covering in Baniifamettt! The
Body 15 KB easily cloathed as fed ; and Nature has nude
nothing hard that is neceilary. But if nothing wiU ferve
«s, but rich Embroideries, and Scarlet, it is poae of Por^
Hine^s Fault that we are poor, but our own. Nay, iiip.
pofe a Man flioaid have all reftored him back again that
^e has loft, it wilt come to nothiag ; for he wiil waat
aM)iie after that, tafatisfy his Dcires, than he did before
eofupplyj^is Neceffities. haiatiable Appetites are not
to much i Thirft, as a Difeaie.
To come lower now ; u hem is * that Foo^e or Na»

• T> '/L^ * • ^*» ^^ ^^^ ^^^ chaaged thei»
Samjbmnt « pfocc of Abode ? fome by the Fate^

^ '/^* 'll Ip tl P*^*> Shipwsecks, or Waat of Provi-

j\r f • L * ma% uf>on unknown Coalb. Some

mdNatu^nsba've ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^ PdWence,

bien banned. g^j^^,^ Earthquakes, S«fch«Pge of
People at home. Some travel to lee the t^orld % otheft
iisr Conunerce } but, in ftne, it is dear, that upon- foase
Reafea or other» she whole Race of Mankiad have
isfted their Qaarrert ; chaaged (heir very NaaKs» ae
Avdi as their Habltatioas ; inlbmueh diatwehave loft
the very Mcnaoml^ of whfat (hey wtie, JA iheft^

ei^.xxsr. Of A happy rrrE wj*

Tnmfponatiemscf People, what «re tbey bat poMkk
Banifiiraents? The very Founder af the R»matt Smfnre
was aft Exile: Briefly, th^wMe Wer4d haa been trahf*
pkusted, and «neMiitacion treach apon theHed of a-
noti^en That whieh one Man delsres, turns another
Maiffl StoflMcfa ; and he that profoibes me to*day» ibsdl
iHfiKeif be eaft oot to>-morrow« We hare however thai
Conlbrt In oor Misfortane; we have die iame Nature,
the ^Nne Providence, and we carry octr Virtues along
wiA us, And this Bteffinj^ we^ owe to tiie Almk;hty
Power, call it what you wm ; either a (M or an iSrcr-
fnnttl Rtafufy a DinHn^Sfrtit^ or Fafey and xkt Unchanged
aSk Cffnr/e of Caufis and Effdt : It is however fb or-
dered, t)nt nothing can be taken from us, but what we
can weH (jpare ; and that which is moft magnificent, and.
valuable, continues with us. Wherever we go, we have
idle Heavens over our Heads, and no r farther from «$>
than they were before ; and fb bng as we can entertain
our Eyes and Thoughts with thofe Glories^ what Matter^
Is it what Ground vye tread upon ?

In die Cafe of Pain, or Sicknefs, it is *^only the Body*
^at is afleded : It may take off the , p . . ^
Speed of a Footman, or bind the Hands ^T""!! » j
of a Coblcr, but. the Mind is ftill at •^,,/L^y*'
liberty to hear, learn, teach, advife, and *"' '^' ^'''•
to do other good Offices. Ft is an Example of pubhc
Benefit, a Man that is in Pain: and patient. Virtae may
ftew itfelf, as weA in the Bed as in the Field ; and he-
that cheariuHy encounters the Terrors of Death, and
corporal Ancnifh is as great a Man as he that moft gene--
foufly haxards himfelf in a Batde. * A Difeafe, itis true,,
bars us of fbme Pleafures, but procures others. Drinic
is never fo grateful to us, as in a burning Fever; nor.
Meat, as when we have fatted ourfelves fliarp, andi
hungry. The Patient may be fecbidden fome fenfual.
Sadffa^bion, but no Phyfician will forbid us the Delight
of the Mind. Shall we call any fick Man roiferable,
kcEofe be mtxk give over his Intemperance of Wine?
and Gluttony, and betflkehnsfelf to a Diet of more So^
briety, and lefs Expence; and abandon his Luxury,
whidl is theDiftemperof tfarMmdaa wellof diefiodyj?
Iftsi wubMoBe, I know, at iFft, to sbSbakL&omxkit

204 SENECA Chap. XXV.

PIcifures we have been ofed to, and to eadate Hunger
and Thiift ; but in a little Time we lofe the very Ap*
petite, and it is no Trouble then, to be without that
which we do not defire. In Di/tafiu^ there are great
Pains ; but if they be long, they lemit. and give os £omc
Intervals of Eale ; if ihort and violent, either they dif-
patch Hit or confume thmftliHi: So thateidier their
Kefpites mak^ them tolerable, or the Extremity makes
them ihort. So merciful is Almighty God to os, that
our Torments cannot be very (harp, and lafting. The
ncoteft Pains are thofe that a^^ the Nerves, but there is
^is Comfort in them too, that they will quickly nuke
us ftupid, and infenfible. In cafes of Extremity, let us
call to mind the moft eminent Inftances of Patience and
Courage, and turn our Hionghts from oar AflliAions to
the Contemplation of Virtue. Snppofe it be the Stone,
the Gout, nay, the Rack itfelf : how many have endured
It without fo much as a Groan, or Word fpeaking ; with-
out fo much as afking for Relief, or givine an Anf^er
to a Queftion ? Nay, they have laughed at the Tormen*
ters upon the very Torture, and provoked them to new
Experiments of their Cruelty, which they have had dill
in DeriiiOD. The Aj:bma I look upon, as of all Difeaies,
the moft importune; the Phyiicians call it The Meduc'
tion of Deaths as being rather an Agony than a Sicknels :
The Fit holds not above an Hour, as no Body is long in
expiring. There are three 1 hings grievous in Sickneis,
the Fear of Death, bodily Pain, and the Intermiflion o£
our Pleafures : The firfl is to be imputed to Nature, not
to the Difeafe ; for we do not die oecaufe we are fick,
but becaufe we live. Nay, Sicknefs itfelf has preferved
many a Man from dying.

----— ------__^ J-

CHAP. XXY.

Pcyerty to a wiji Many, is rather a Bleffing^, than a

Misfortune^

N

O Man (hall ever be poor, that goes to.himfeIC
for what he \vaats i and that is the i^adieft wa^

Chap.XXy. Of: A HAPpy LIFE. soj

to Rkhes : Natare indeed vn\l hire her Dae; but yef
whatfoerer is beyond Neceffity, is precartouf, and not
neceffiuy. It is notherBofinefi to gratify the Palate^
bat to fatbfy a craving Stomach : Bresd, when a Man is
Jiungry, does hts Work, let it be never fb coarfe; and
Water when he is a>dry; let his Thirft be quenched^
and Nature is (atisfied ; no Matter whence it comes> of
whether he drinks in Gold, Sihrer, or in the Hollow,of
his Hand. To prdmiTe a Man Riches, and to teach
him Poverty, is to deceive him : Bat (hall I call hint
|>9or, that wants nothing ; though he may be beholden
for it to his Patience, rather than to his Fortune ? or (halt
any Man deny him to be rich, whofe Riches can never
be taken away ? Whethei is it better to have much,, or
enough ? He that has tipTnch'defires more, wHich fhews^
that he has not yet enough) but he that has enough, is
at Reil« Shall a Man be reputed' the lefs rich, for noi
having that for which hefhall be banifhed ; for which his.
very Wife, or Son, ihali poifon him : That which gives
him Security in War, and Quiet in Peace ; which he
pofleHes without Danger, and difpofes of without
Trouble? No Man can be poor that has enough ; nof
rich that covets more than he has. Jkxander, after alt
his Conquefts, compiained that he wanted more Worlds \
he deiired fomething more, even when he had gotten
all : and that which was iuificient for human Nature
was not enough for one Man> Money never made any
Man rich ; for the more he had, the more he ilill co-
veted. Thericheft Mao that ever lived is poor, in my
Opinion, and in apy Man's may be h : but he that keeps
himfelf to the Hint of Nature, does neither feel Poverty,.
nor fear it ; nay, even in Poverty itfelf, there are fome
Things fuperflaous* Thofe which the World calls happy,
their Felicity is a fal(e Splendor, that da2zles the Kyea
of the Vulgar ; but our rich Man is gk)rious, and happy
within. There is no Ambition in Hunger or Thirf): :•
Let there be Food, and no matter for the Table, the^
Difli, and the Servants ; nor with what Meats Nature i»
£itisfied. Thofe are the Torments of Luxury that rather
ftufF the Stomach than fill it : It iludies ratbelr to caufe-
an Appetite, than to allay it. It is not for us to fay,.
iU*,u mt iatiJ/omi that is €9mmm\, tbt otbir. og^dst

^ SENECA Cliap.XXVV

i»f E^. Niture pimdet finr Hetidi, not IkSic^;^
.When the'Tronpct feouit a Ch»ge» the poor Maui
knows that he is not tOMd at: wihgn Aej cry ont Firs^
hiaBody ii ^ ba hai to look aftcri if hew to taloea
loarnry*. there is no bbtktn^ up of Streets, and duoa^
mg^of Parages Im* a. parting CcnpUaieat : A Cmall Ma.u
Car fiUa his ScHy» and cmtentthb hfind ; he lirea fvooi
Hand toMoathy imhoot caching or fearing fiyrTo-mot^
tow. The aempemtc rich Man is bat his Counterfeit ;
hid Wit is quicker, and his Appetite csdmer.

No Mao finds Poverty a Treul^e to* him, but he
« B . . t^at thitiln it fo ; and he that thinks it
f s ir/'"' fo> maktjs It fo : Does not a rich Maa
Y '^f **/^>*'' travel more at eafe, with leis Luggage,
tMUfimof,. and fewer Servants? Does he not eat,,
many times, as little, and as Coarib in the Field, as a
poor Man ? Does he not, for his own Pleafare, ibnie*
times, and hr Variety, feed opon the Ground, and yfe
only earthen VelTels ? Is not be a Madman then, that
always fears what he often deiires, and dreads the Thing
that he takes Delight to imitate ? He that would know
the word of Poverty, kt him bat compare the Looks of
the Rich, and of the Poor, and he fhall find the poor
Man tcf have a fmoother Brow, and to be more merry at
Heart ; or if any Troi^e befals him, it palles over like
a Cloud : Whereas the other, either his good Humout
is counterfeit, or hia Melancholy deep, and ulcerated,
and the wode, beeaufe he dares not publidy own his
Misfortune : but he is forced to play the Part of a hap-
py Man, even with a Cancer in \m Heart. His Felicity
IS but perfonated, and if he were but ftripped of his^
Ornaments, he would be contemptible. In buying of a
Jiorfe, we take off his Clothes and his Trappings, and'
examine his Siiape and Body for fear of being coaened r
And fhall u e put an ElUmate upon a Man for being (tn
off by his Fortune, astd Quality ? Nay, if we fee any
thing, of OrnaflAent about him, we are to fnfpedhim thr
aoore for fone Infirmity under it. H« that is not coo«
tent sn Poveity, would not be fo neillier in Plenty ; Asr
Ae Fault b not in the Thing, but i« the Mind. If thaa
be iickly, remove him from a Kennel to a Palace, he ia
at the faatoPafs ; for he caFries U^IHfeaft dang wiik

Chft^XXV^ Of A HAPPY LIFE. ;aof

hssi. Wl»t can be htppier than Ami Crnidtciony bonk
of Mind, and of Fortune, from which wecaatioiiaUf
WttC can be * greater Fdidt^, tfasta in a covetous
de fi gahi g Age, for a Maa id live Me among Informer^
and Thieves f It pets a poor Man into the i^ery Condi-
cioa ofPraeidence, cbat gives att, widioat referving znf
Tbittg IN> itfelf. ^ Hew iuippy is he that ow^ nothing,
bet to hiaUelf, and oni^r ctat which he caa t9&ynh£^
or eaiijy pay ! I do not reckon him poor, that hiss bnt «
little ! but he is (b that oovets move. It is a to Di^ree
of Plenty, to have what it neceffiay. Whether had a
Man better find Sotnrity in Want, or Hunger in Pleaty t
It is not the aMfmeating of oor Fortunes* hat. the a^
bating of our Appetit«s, that makes os rich. Wh^ na^p
not a-Man as well contemn Riches in Ms own Coffers, ae
in another Man's ? - And jpather hear that they are his^
than feel thcai <» be fo ? Thoagh it is a greater Matter
«ot to 'be corrvpced, even by haviag tbei^ under the
iame Roof. He is the greater Man that is hoaelBy poor
in the Middle of Pkeaty ; bat he is the moft iecure, that
is free from the Temptation of that Plenty $ and has
tiie lead Maeter for another to deiign opon. It is no^
great Baftneft for a poor Man to preach the CoEnteeapt
of Riehes, or for a rich Man to exaol the Benefits of Po*
verty ; becaafe we do not know how either the one, or
the other would behave himfelf in the contrary Condi*
tioa. The beft Ptoof i9> the doing of it by Choice, and
hot by Neeeffity ; for ^e Practice of Poverty in Jell is
a Preparation toward die bearing of it in Barneil. Baa
k is yet a generous Difpofition fb to provide for the
word of Fortunes, as what may be eafily born : Tho
P^'erae^itation makes them not only tolerable, but de*>
lightful to us ; for there is that in them, without which
nothing can be comfortable, that is to fay. Security. If
there were nothing elfe in Poverty, but the certain
KnQwledge of our Friends, it were yet a mod deiirablo
Blefling, when every Man leaves us but thofe that love
Qs. It is a Shame to place the Happinefs of Life in
Gold and Silver, for which Bread and Water is fufficient ^
Of, at the worft. Hunger puts an End to Hunger. For
the Honour of Poverty^ it w^ both the Foundation and
the Caiffe rf the Romau Emfirc \ and no Man was ever

2et S EN E C A Chap. XXV.

Set fo poor, but he had' cooogh to carry him to hit
OQniey*s End.

All 1 defire is, that mv Poverty * may sot be a Btuf-
m %jr j^ . . den to myiaf, or make me ib to odiers ;
.^tT'P/! »ndthat is the beft State of Fortune, thac
the ttft bioti j^ ^^.^gj. ^jj^^ neceffitoos, nor fer from
of tortum. .^ ^ Mediocrity of Fortune, wirii Gen-
denefs of Mind, will preierve us from Fear or Enry ;
which is a de(irable Condition, for no Man wants Power
to do Mifchief. We never coniider the B^dfing of
coveting nothing, and the Glory of being fall in ou«-
felves, without depending upon Fortune. With Payfi-
mony a little is fuffident ; and without it,, nothing ;
whereas, Frugality makes a poor Man ricb. If we lofe
an Eftate, we had better never have had it : He that has
leaft to lofe, has leaft to fear ; and thofe are better fa-
tisfied whom Fortune never favoured, than thofe whom
Ihe has fbrfaken. The State is mod commodious, thai
lies bevwixt Poverty and Plenty. Diogtnes underftood
this very well. When he put himfelf into an Incapacity
of loiing any Thing. That Courfe of Life is moft com-
modious, which is both fafe and wholefome : the Body
is to be indulged no farther than for Health ; and rather
mortified than not kept in Subjcdion to the Mind. It
i neceflary to provide againil Hunger, Thirft, and Cold i
and ibmewhat for a Covering to fiielter us againll othev
Inconveniencies ; but not a Pin matter whether it be of
Turf, or of Marble. A Man may lie as warm, and a»
dry under a thatched, as under a gilded Roof. Let the
Mind be great and gloriiHis, and all' other Things are
defpicable in comparifon. Thi fmure is unnrtain ; and
I had rather Beg rfmjfilfn9t t9 dtfin anj ^bittg^ tban..^
fortune ia bifio^ iU

S E N EC A
o p
N G E I

j/f^«r dtftriiti. It it againft Naturt^ and e»fy H B*
found in Men,

WE an here to enoonnter the moft outragiODi, bru-
tal, dangerous, and intreftablc of a)I PaifioBi;
ihciQOftlothroine, and upmanncrly ; nayi the
mod ridicDloui too; and the fubduing of tbiiMonfter
will do a great deal toward the £Aabti(hoient of haman
Peace. It U the Mediod of PbyJUiani, to begin with a
Dcferiptiali of the Difcafe, before they meddle with the
Cure; And 1 know not why this may not do at well in
the DiSemperf of the Mind, as in thofe of the Body.

Thb St*),ki will have Jngtr to\ie. A Dtfntffunip-.
i«g^mtitrfir/>mehjM>jA». Againft ^^,^ ^,^,„.^
which it IS otyeAcd, Ebat we arc many ^j'ffr^gj i/ i,^
Times angry with thofe that never did hurt . '
as, bat p^bly mty, tbongb the Harm be not as yet done '

zio SENECA Chap. I.

But, I fay, that thcyhurt us already in Conceit : and
the renr Piirpofe of it it an lojiiry ia Thought, before
it breaks ant kto an Ad. It is oppofed again, that
if Anger were a Dtfre if Pum^ing^ mean People wovld
not l^ angry with gteat ones, diat are oat of their
Reach : For no Man caa be (aid to defire any Thing,
which he J4idge« impoffible to corapafs. But» I gnfwer
to this, 1 hat Anger is the Dsfirt^ not the Pamper and
Faculty of Revenge: Neither is any Man fb low, but
that the greateft Ma;n alive may, peradrenture, lie at his
Mercy.

ARISfOTLEukt^Jnger to he,^Di/trt of fay-^
irtg Sorronv for Sorronv ; and of plaguing thofe that have
pfagued. us. It is argued againft both, that Beafts are an-
gry ; though neither provoked by any Injury, nor mo-
ved with a Defire of any Body's Grief, or Punifliment.
Nay, though they caufe it, they do not defign or (eek itr
Neither is Anger ^how unrealQaable foevrr in itfelf ) ibund
any where but in reasonable Creatures. It is true, that
Beads have an Impulfe of Rage, and Fiercenefs, as they
are more affected alfo than Men with femePt eafure» :
Bat we may as well call them luxurious, and ambitious,
as angry. And yet they are not without certain Images
of human AiFe^ons. They have their Likings and their
LoatfatBga; but iwither the Pafliont of. xearaliahle Na-
ture, nor their Virtues, nor their Vices. They are
moved to Fury by ibme Objedls, ikcy are quieted by
others; they have their Terrors and their l5ifappoint-
ments ; but without Refleiftioii : And let them be never
fo much irritated or affrighted, fo feon as ever the
Oocafion ia removed, they h}A to their Meat again,
and lie down, and take their ReA. Wildom and
Thought are the Goods of the Mind, whereof Brutes
are wh(^y incapable; and we are aa unlike them with-
in, as we are without: They have an odd Kipd of
Fancy ; and they have a Voke too ; but iaardculate and
conftiTed* and incapable of thofe Variations ^ich are
fanniltBr to us.

ANOEa is not ontya Vice, but a Vice point blank
If :. ^m.^s M. ag«^nft Nature, for it divides, inHead of
Vli^ '^ iV-»- ^}„g . ^^^ j^ j^^ meafort, fralbaiefc

'^^ the Bnd of Fcovideiic^ ia bafli^a Se-

Chap.L Of* A N O E It. ait

ciety. One Man was born to help another : Anger
makes us deftroy one another ; the one anites> the other
ieparates ; the one is beneficial to us, the other mifchie-
vons; the one foccoure even Strangers, the other de*
ftroys even the mofl intimate Friends : the one yen-
tores all tn fave another, the other' ruins himfelf to un-
do aoother«r Nature is bountiful, but A^get is perni-
cious: Few' It is not Fear, bat mutual Love that binds
up Mankind.

There are {bme Mottone that look li4re Anger, which
cannot properly be called fo ; as the Pafiion of the Peo-
ple againft the GfaJsaf^rst when they hatig off, and will
BOt make ib quick a Difpatch as the Spe£(ators would
have them : There is fomething in it ef the Humour of
ChHdreo, that if they get a Fall, will never leave Bawl-
ing, until the naughty Ground is beaten, and then all
k well again. They are angry witiiont any Can/e, or In-
jury ; they are ^daded by an Imitation of Strokes, and
pacified with coaotetftk Tears. A falfe and a childiih
Sorrow, is appeafed with as falfe and as childifh a
Revenge. They take it for a Contempt^ if llie G/aJia*
f0ti do BOt immediately caft themfelves upon the Sword's
Point, They look prefently about them, from one to
another, as who ihoald iay, bo butfu^ my Maflers^ btw
tktfe Ragmi ahuft us*

To <kfcend to the particalar Branches, and Varieties,

T^« i^.S^''; ^^\ ^'^'^ ^" "f

i neie is a iiuDiyorn, a vmnictivej a j^^^^
qoarreUbme, a violent, a froward, a '*^'
Killen, a morole kind of Anger ; and then we have this
• Variation in CompHcation ttK>. One goes no farther
than Words; another predeeds itnmediately to Blows,
without a Word fpeaking ; a third Sort breaks out mto
Cur(nig and reproachful Language : and there are, that
content then^felves with chiding and compbinm^. There
18 a conciliable Anger, and there is an implacable ; but
» what Form or Degree feever it appears, all Anger^
without Exoepdon, is vicious.

ttx SENECA Cliap^tE.

C H A F. II.

Tie Rift of Anger.

TH E Qaedion will be here, whether Anger takes
iu Rife from Jnipuire, or Judgment ? That is,
whether it be moved of its own Accord* or as many other
Things are, from within us, that arife we know not how I
The Clearing of this Point will lead us to greater
Matters.

Th e Jirft Motion of Anger is, in troth, in voluntary,

tTL £^a n* ^ r ftnd only a kind of menacine: Prepara-
The firfi Mutton of ^^^ ^^^^j, j^ TheAWdllibcrates ;

-^••^* as who fliould fay, Tbit Jnfufy finmld

«9/ pafs njjttbeut a Rivet/fe, and there it ftops. The
fbirii is impotent; and, right or wrong, refolves upon
Vengeance. Hhtfoft Motiom is not to be avoided, nor in-
deed the ftewd^ any more than Yawning, for Company:
Cuftoro and Care may leflen it, but Reafbo itfelf can*
not overcome it. The thirds as it ri(es up<m Conftdem-
tion, it muft fall fo too*) fbr, that Motion which pro*
ceeds with Judgment may be taken away with Judg-
ment. A Man thinks hi mfelf injured, and hath a mind
to be revenged, but for fome Reafon lets it reft. This
is not properly Anger^ bat an dffeQiw vuer-rulid by
Rea/on : a kind of Propofal difapproved. And, what
are Reafon and Afie£^ion ; but only Changes of the Mind
for the better, or for the worfe? Reafon deliberates
before it judges; but Anger paiTes Sentence without De-
liberation. Reafon only attends the Matter in hand ; but
Anger is ftartled at every Accident; It pafles thefioonda
of ReafoD ; and carries it away with it. In fliort^ Jn£er
is an Agitaiiou of the Mi fid tbat proceeds to the ReJolU'*
tien of a Rentenge^ the Mind ajffeuting to it. There is
no Doubt but Anger is moved by the Species of an Injury,
but whether that Motion be voluntary or invohintaxy, is
the Point in debate ; though it (eem' manifeft to me, that
Anger does nothing but where the Mind gOes along with
it. For, firft to take an Ofience, and then to mediute a
Revenge ; and, after that, to lay both Propofitions to-
gedier, and iay to myfelf, TbisJi^ufyougbt net f ba*f».

t::hap.IL Of A N G E R/ 113

hiiu doHi ; hut ai thi Cafi ftandi^ I nrnft 4fi ^fi\f ^ight.
This Difcourfe can never proceed without the Concur*
rence of the^WiU. The firil Motion indeed is fingle ;
butt ' all the Reft is Deliberation, and Soperftrn^^are :
There is fomething underilood/ and condemned^ an In-
dication conceived, and a Revenge, propoonded. This
can never be without the Agreement of the Mind to the
Matter in Deliberation. The End of this Queftion ls» to
know the Nature and Quality of Angtr. If it be bred in
BS, it will never yield to Re^fon, for all involuntary
Motions are inevitable and invincible ; as a kind of Hor*
ror and Shrugging upon the Sprinkling of cold Water ;
the Hair Ending on End at ill News ; Giddinefs at the
Sight of a Precipice; Blu(hing at lewd Difcourie. In
the(e C^fes, Reaibn can Ao no Good ; but An^r may
undoubtedly be overcome by Caution and good Counfel ;
for it is a tooluntary Viciy and not of the Condition of
thofe Accidents that befal us as Frailties of our Hu-
manity : Amongft which muft be reckoned the fir ft
Motions of the Mind, after the Opinion of an Injury re-
ceived, whiclr it is not in the Power of human Nature to
avoid : And this is it that afFedts us upon the Stage, or in
a Story. Can any Man read the Death of Ftrnpey^ and
not to be touched with an Indignation ? the Sound of a
Trumpet roufes the Spirits and provokes Courage. It
; makes .a Man fad to fee the Shipwreck even of an Ene-
my ; and we are much furprifed by Fear in other Cafes :
Ail thefe Motions are not k> much Aftedtions, as Preluldes
to them. The Cla(hing of Arms, or the Beating of a
Drum, excites a War-hor(e. Nay, a Song from Xentn
phantesy/Q^A make Alexander take his Sword in his
Hand. In all thefe Cafes, the Mind rather fuffers than
a^s ; and therefore it is not an Afiedlion, to be mo'ved^
but X.ogi'ue fwa^ to that Motion, and to follow willingly
what was ftarted by Chance. Thefe are not Afi«£tion<?,
but Impuiies of the Body, The braveft Man in the
World may look pale when he puts on his Armour, his
Knees knock, and his Heart works before the Battle is
joined; but thefe are ouXy Motions i whereas Anger is
an Excurfion^ and propofes Revenge or Punifhment,
which cannot be withoat the Mind. As Fear flies, fo
Anger afTauIts ; and, it is not poilible to refolve, either

^

tx4 SENECA C&ap. III.

iipon Viobace or Cakvaa, wiAcMit the Concarrence of
ikeWilL

C H A P- in.

JngiT may It fupprtfftdk

IT it an idle Thing to prettndp ihat we amaot govern
our Atigir : for tome Thift|[;9 that we do^ aie moch
harder than otheri that we ou^t to do ; liie wildeft
Afle&ion« maybe tamed by Difapline, and there is hard*
ly any Thing which tbe Mind will 60, hot it may do*
There needs no more Argument in this Ca/e, than the
Inftances of ieveral PcrioDS, both powerfol and impatient,
that have gotten the abfoiute Maftery of themfrlves in
this Point.

THR AS IP PUS, m his Drink» fell fool upon tiie
••/•«-. * a Cruelties of PiJ&irahtt j who, when he
P,fiftratiis«r^7y?.r- ^^^ ^^^ bf fcveral about him ta
riT ins Anger. ^^^^ ^^ Example of him, returned
this Anfwer, Why Jbvukl J be angry nmtb a Mam that
flumhlesuponmihlind/tU? In effedl) noil of our Quarxelt
are of our own making, either by Miftake^ or by Ag-
gravation. Anger comes fomettmea upon us, but we
00 oftner to it, and indead of rejecting it, we call

It.

AUGUSTUS w^9 a great Mafter^ his Paffion :

cri^ n 3 r f ^^ Titnagines an Hiftorian wrote feve-
Y^ C,/if|/wyi Of ^ ^j^^^^ ^jjj^^ ^g^j^^ j^^ p^^^^^

Augu us, ^^^ Yii% Family ; which palled among

the People plaufible enough, as Pieces of rafh Wit com-
xnonly oo. Cafar advifod him ieveral Times to for-
bear, and when that would not do, forbade him hit
Roof. After this, A^niUs Poilit gave him Entertain-
ment ; and he was (6 well beloved in the City, that every
N^an's Houfe was open to him. Thofe Things that
he had written in the Honour of Augu fins ^ he recited
and burnt ; and publicly profe/led himfelf C^efafh £ne-
ny : AugufiuSf for all this, never fell out with any Man
that received him ; only he once told PMo, that he had

Chap^fll. . Of A N G K ». tij

taken X Smikf into his Bolbm : And as P^iUo was about
to excufe himfelf; No (iays Cafar^ interniptini; hionr)
tnmki pur htfi of him% and, oflfering to caft him ofF at
tbat ypty Moment, if Cafar pfeafed : Do you tbtnk
(fiiys Cdefar} ibat I mjiH twr eontrrbutt to tie parting
of youp thai made you Friends? for PoUio was angry with
liim before, and ^ only entertained htm now, becaoie
C€e^ had difearded him.

Thb Moderation of Antigwwv9z% remarkabie; ibme
of his Soldiibrs were railing at Wm one ^, j^ ,
Night where there was but a Hanging ^^f^^^
betwixt them; if»fl^tf»tf/ov«r-hcard them, ^ /intigonu«»
atfd putting it gently afidc; SoMers^ fays he, flairdalittie
farther qffj for fear the King fbould hear you. And we
are to coniider, not only violent Exampfes, but mo-
derate, where there wanted neither Caufe of Difplea-
fure, nor Power oi Revenge : As in the Cafe of Anti*
gonusf who, the fame Night, hearing his Soldiers curfing
him for bringing them into fo fbuT a way, he went to
them, and, without tdling them who he was,, helped
them out of it. Now, fays he,j>« may he allo'coed to curfe
him that brought you into the Mire, fronnded you hlefi him
that took you out of it.

It was a notable ftory, that of Pedius Poilio, upon
his invitinfi: of Auruflus to Supper. ^ ^ i . , ^
One of hi8%s happened to break i£jX^'^'*'
a Glafs ; and his Mafter, in a Rage, ^ ^^ ^ ''*
commanded him to be thrown into a Pond to fe*d his Lam-
preys. This Aftion of his might be tikcn for Luxury^
though in truth, it was Cruelty. The Boy was feized,
but Brake loofe, and threw himfelf at Auguftus his Peet,
only defiring that he might not die that Death ! Cajar^
in Abhorrence of the Barbarity, prefently ordered all the
reft of the Glaffes to bfc broken ; the Boy to be releafed ;
and the Pond to be filled up, that there might be no
farther Occafion for an Inhumanity of that Nature.
This Was an Authority well-employed. Shall the
breaking of a Glafs coil a Man his Liie ? Nothing but
a predominant Fear could ever have maftercd his cho-
leric, and fanguinary Difpofition. This Man deferved
to die a thoafand Deaths> either for eating human Flc(h

n

si6 SENECA. Chap^ni.

«t fecoad huid, in his Lampreys, or fpr keeping of hti
Pi(h to be ib fed.

It it written of Pntxa/pn (a Favourite of Camlnfesf
who was mach given to. Wine) diat he took the Free*
dom to tell his Prince of his hard Drinking, and to la^
before him the Scandal, and the Inconvenience of his
Excefles ; and how that in thofe Diftempers^ he had not
the Command of himfelf. Nrw (fays Cambyfts) u
Jbtw yu your Mifiakii yu /hall fa mi drink dt^ptr
tham ivir I did^ and jit kap tbiU/i of mj Eyes^^and
of kiy Hmnds^ at njDoU m if I nvtn Jobir. Upon this
he drank to a higher Pitch than ordinary* and ordered
Pr^xa/fis his Son to ^o out, and (land on the other fide
of the Threfholdy with his left Arm over his Head ;
jind{(zy% \it) if I have a good Aim^ havi at thi Htari
of him. He flioty and upon cutting up the young Man»
they found indeed that the Arrow had ftruck him
through the Middle of the Heart, fThat do you think
now (fays Camlnfij) Is »ty Hand feddy ornof Apollo
himfelf {Jay % Fnexifpa) could not havi outdone it, it
may be a Queftion now, which was the greater Impiety*
the Murder itfelf» or the Commendation of it ; for him
to take the Heart of his Son, while it was yet reeking,
and panting under the Wound for an Occafion of Flat-
^tery^: Why was there not another Experiment made
ttpon the Father* to trv if Camhyfis could not have yet
mended this Shot ? Tnis wss a moft unmanly Violation
of Hofoitality* but the Approbation of the Fa£t was ftill
worfe than the Crime itfelf. This Example of Prmx^f'"
pis proves fufficiently that a Man may repref^ his Anger ;
for he returned not one ill Word, no not fo mucM as a
Complaint ; but he paid dear for his good Counfel. He
had been wifer* perhaps, if he had let the King alone in
his Cups* for he had better have drunk Wine than Blood*
It is a dangerous Office to give good Advice to intern*
perate Princes.

Another Inftance of Anger fupprefied we jiave in
^ T a ^ r ji Harpagus^ who was commanded to

rfubttttliinYloX' *^P°*^ Cyrus upon a MounutOt but
^t!^oxkl ' ^^ Child was prcfcrved ; which when

^^ *' Aftyages came afterwards to under*

ftand, he invited Harpagut to a Difli of Meut; and

'N

r

Chap. IV. Of A N G E R. ^17

when he had eaten his fi]l» he told him it was a Piece
t>f his Sod, and afked him how he liked the Seafon-
ing. Wbati-ver pleafes your MajeJ/y^ fays HarpaguSf mufl
plenf/e'fne: And he made no more Words of it- It is
laioll Certain thrft we might govern oar Anger, if we
ii'ould; for the fame Thing thatgalfs m at home, givea
us no Offence at aQ abroad $ and what is the Reafon of
It, but that we are patient hi ooe Place, and fro ward
in^ncrther}

f 1* was a ih*oflg Provocation, that which was given
To Philip of Mactdon, the Father of ctl lur j *•' /
Jhxatt'der ^ The Atbctdans fcnt their L^^yZXT^-^
AmbalTadors 10 him, and they wert v|*"P ^ ^^^^^
received with this Compliment, Tell ^*
ftUj Gtnthmen^ Ukys Philip 9 What is there that l can^o
tn ci>lige the Athenians? Demochdret^ one of 'the Aili- '
baflkdorsy told him» that they would take it for -a great
Obligation, if he would be pleafed to hang himfelf.
This Infolfnce %i\t an Indignation lo the Byllanders i
but PbiHp bade them not to meddle with him, but
.even to Jet that fbal-mouthed Fellow go as he canle.
And for, yh»^ ihe'refliof the /iMfafadorsy fays- he, ^r^
tell the Athenians, that it is hiotfe to /peak /tech fhiff^f^
than to hear 4;uld forgive' them. Thi^ Wonderful Pjfti-
ence under CoiftumeHes was ft great Means of Philif^s
Secaritjr.

i

■*&•

iAte>

, . CHAP. IV. -

lAngtr- is afiart Madntfu '^ o deformed Vicfi,

TTE

rlfi"

both of

was much m the right, whoever it was, that
■firft called Jttger €i Jbort Madneft ; for they have
~ them the fame Symptoms ; and there is {o wpn-
derftil a Refemblance betw):tt the Tranfports of QknUr
and thofe of Phrer/y^ that it is a hard Matter to know
the one from the other. A bold, fierce, and tiareat-
ning Countenance, as pale as Aihes, and in the & me
Moment a^ red as Blood: a glaring Eye, a wrinkled

L

318 SENECA Cbap. IV.

.BitMv« violent Motions^ the Hands reftlcfi, nod per*
petaaliy in AAion, wrin^ng and incaacing, fntppiog of
the j intSy ftampuig with die Feet, tbe^Iftir totmg»
. cvembiine Lips, a rorced and fqoeaking Voice ; tlie
Speech talfe and broken, deep ana frequent Sighs, and
ghaftly Look<< ; the Veins fwelU the Heart panu, the
Knees knock ^^ with a Hundred difmal Accidents . that
are common to both Difiempers. Neither is Anger a
, bore R^embbace only of Madaefi, but many 'Hmes
. an irrecoverable Tranntion into the f hing ii(ejf. How
many Peribns have we known, fead« and heard of
#Hit have loft their Wiu in a PadSioa, and never camtf
to themfelves again ? It is therefore to be avoided, not
. ««ly fi)r Modemion fiike, but alio for Health. Now
t£ the ontwanl Appearance of An^r be foul, and hide-
oas, how deformeo muft that miierable Mind be, that
is hacraflidd with it \ for it leaves no Place either for
■ CoiHiieU or Friendihip, Honefty, or good Manners;
: «oPLKe cither fortheExercife of Reuon. or Ibr the
. Oflketof Life. If I were to defoibe it» Iwoalddiaw
aTjrgarbathedtnBbodi (liarpleuaQdready to takes
Leap at his Prej ; or drefi it «p as the Poets icpre-
ieet the Feriet. with Whips, Snakes, and Flaaies : It
ibaald likewife be fonr, livid, foil of Scan* and wal-
lowing in Gore, raging npand down, deftroying, grin*
nin^ oel1owing9 and purfoing } fick ctf'all other Tlnage,
andinoft of all of itfelf. It turns Beauty into Demw
' snity, and the calmeft Couniels itato Fiefceoe^ ! InKlbr-
ders our very Garments,. and £Ih .the Mmd widi Hor-
ror. How abominable b it hr the Soofthen, when it
app^an fo hideous even through the Bones, the Skin,
and fo many linpediaoents f Is jioel^eaJ^ladaian that
has loft the Government of htmfelf, and is to£&d.hither
: and - thither by his Foiy, as by a Teiopeft I The Exe-
cutioner of his own Revenge, both with his Heart and
Hand ; and. the Muideier of his neareft Fxiends? fhe
fmalleft Matter moves it^ and niakes us in^ciable, and
inacceffible. It does all Things by Violenjcc^ 9^ well
Bpon itfelf, as others : and ii is, in (hqrt^ the Mafter of
all Paftions.

Chap.V. Of A N Ci £ It. tip

There is not any Creature * (o ted'ible» and danger

mmii terrtbkb^ An. ^^^ ^^^^ Afi^aions. but certain
^*^* ImpuUes they have whkb come veiy

near them. The Boar ibams, champs, and wheu hia
Toiks) the Boll toEes his Horns in the Air, hoo&fts^
and tears mp the Gxoand with his Feet. The lion roan,
and iWings himfelf with his Tail \ the Serpent ifwells,
.and there it a ghaUly. kind of Eebie^ in the Afpe^l of a
mad Dog*. How great a Wickednefiis it bow to indttlse
a Violencey that does not only tarn a Man into a Beairt
buto^makes even the moi^outra^as of Beafts thraifelvea
CO be more dreadful and mi/ckievofis I A Vice that car*
ries along with it, neither Pleafurc nor Profit; neither
H<Maour nor Security \ bat on the contrary, deAroys as
to all the comfortable, and glorious Purpofes of enr rra-
fonable Being. Some there ^e, that will ha^e the Root
of it to be Greatnefs of JvUnd* And why may we not aa
well entitle Imfudinct to Coura^t^ whereas the one it
proud, the other brave; the ote is gracious and gentle,
the other rude and furious? At the fame rate we may
afcribe Magnanimity to Avarice, Luxury and Ambition,
which are all but fplendid Impocencies, without Mca-.
fure and Foundation. 7 here is nothtog ereat, but what
is virtuous, nor indeed truly great, but what is al(b com-
pofed and quiet. Anger, alas! is but a wild impetuous
Blafl, an empty Tumour, the very Infirmity of Women
and Children;, a brawling clamorous £vil: and the more
Noife the lefs Co\irage; as we find it commonly, that the
boldell Tongues have thefainteil Hearts.

C H A P. V.

Anger is nehbet warrantaiU Her ufefkU

IN tTie firft Place, Anger is un^arrantahh^ as it is nn*
juft : For it falls many Time^ upon the wrong Per-
fQn,'and difchargcs itfelf upon the liinocent, inftcad of
the Guilty; bcfide the Difproportion ot making the moft

L a

«o '« E N E C A Chap.V-

trivial Offences to be capital, «nd ponithing an incbnH-
derate Word perhaps with Tormencs^ Fetters, Infamy,
-or 'Death. It allows a Man neither Time* nor Means
for Defence, but judges a Caafbivithouc hearing ir, aod
tuimtts of no Mediation, h flies into the Face of Truth
jtfelf, if it be of the adverie Party; and tarns Ohltmkcy
in an Error, into an ArgamenK of Jurftice. it does eve-
17 Tl)tng with Agitation andTumalt: Wliereas Rea*
tfoTi and Eqaity can deflroy wirade Families, if there be
OccaHon for it, even to the extmgvifhntg^f thetr Names
and Memories, without any Indecency, ^eitiierefCoaote-
siance, or Aiftion.

Secondly, It is in(cciab!e to thehtgheft Point* ; for
^ J . . Tt f}>ares neither Friend nor Foe; but

/ -x/"^ " **' ^^'^ ^^* *® Pieces, and "cafts liinnan Na-
j9aMlfie. ttire »to a perpetual State of W^. Jt

diAblves the Body of mutual Society, infomuch that oar
very Companions and Relations dare not come near as s.
it renders us unfit for the ordinary Offices of Life, for we
can neither govern our Tongues, our Hands, or any Part
4>f our Body. It tramples upoH the Laws of Hofpitality,
and Nations, leaves every Man to be his own Carver,
and all I'hings public and private, facred and profane,
iufier Violence.

Thi a dlt, Jt is to no purpofe: \ It is a fuJ Things

t jf ' A ^^ ^^y» '* ?*' '^P '^v^ Injuries^ and Kue
t // « unfro' ^^^ ^^ ahlei^ h ar tbmi as if any Man
jiub*e. ' that can bear Anier^ coold not bear aa

injury^ which is much more fupportable. You will fay,
that A«grrtk)es feme Gt)od yet, for it keeps People ia
Awe, and iecures a Man from Contempt ; never con-
^dering, that it is more dangerous to be feared than
defpifed. Suppofe that an angry Man could do as
much as he threatens; the more terrible, he is fliR
the more odion- ; and on the other fide, if he wants
Power, he is the more defpicable in his Anger ; for
there is nf^thine more wretched than a coleric Hufi^, that
makes a Noife and no body cares for it. if Anger
ihould be valuable becaufe Men are afraid of it; -wlij
not an AdJcrr, a H Vad, or a Scorpion as well? li makes
CIS lead the Life of Gladiators ; we live, and we £ght
together. We hate tke happy, defpife the miferafale.

Chap.V. Of ANGER. 32»

eavy our SuperioiB« Mult vponodr UiftrioTs, aoB tKerr
is nothing to the NVorid which we will not do^ ather ,
for Pieaiure, or PsofilE. To* be angry at OiFenderi, ]»
to make ourfelves the common Enemies of Mankind^
Which.]) both weak and wicked ; and'we may as well'br
angry that oar I'hiftles do not bring forth Appl^, or that
every Pebble in our Ground is. not a« oriental Pearl* If
we are aagiy both with young Men^ and with otd, be-
catife they^a oH^d; why nor with infants too> becaafe^ '
ibey «tw// tfftndf It is landable to rejoice for any Thing:
that is weti donei 'bot> to be tranf(>orted for another
Man's doing ill, is narrow and fordid* Nor is it for the
Dignity of Virtue A> be eifheratigry or fad. It i« witb
a tainted Mind. as with. ^Ulcer» net on]y'theToach>
bat the very Ofier'at it makes us fhnnk^ and complain '^
when: we come once- to be carded off from oor Poire,
we are loih In the Choice oi' m Sword^ we tal^e carr
that it be wiehiy, and well mounted; and it concerns u^
a» moch to be wary of engaging in the Bxccdes of un-
governable Pafiions. It is not the Sp«*ed of a Horfe al-
together that pleafes us, unlefs we find that: he can ftofv
and torn at Pleafure*. It is a Sign of Weaknefs, and a^
kind of Stdmbling* lor i^Maa t^ niik when he intend »^
onty to walk r find it behovesus-to have the fame Com*
mand of our Mind that we have of our Bodies, ^ Befides-
that» the greateft Panifhinent of an Injary, is the Con-
icieace of having done it ; and no Man fuifers more thaa^
he tha^is turned over to the Pain of a Repentance. How
much better is it to compofe Injuries, than to reveng^-
fJiem \ For k does not only fpend Time, but the Revenge
of one injury expofed us ta mere. \ti fine, as it is un-
reafbaable ta be afigfy at a Ciime» it is as MiHi to be*
aagry without One.

But * ili^ mi an^ Inntft Man^ then h allonued to ^r
mwgry at the Mutdti^ of hU Father f 9r ^ . , . a -/^
$he Ra'uiJkiHg of his Sifter oy Daughter /^^ff "^ ^^>^
Ifefm-e his. fau ^ No» not at all ; I? will ^^^''«^*^'-
defend myParentsy and l.wiil rf pay die Injuries thar
lire done them; but it is my Piety, and not my An-
ser that jnoves metto itl I will do my Duty without
Pear or ConfuAon ; i wilt, not rage, :i will . not.weep.{;
but difcharge the Oi&ce of a goodMaoy without focfei^

Li '

222 S B N. S C A Chap. V.

log the Dignity of a: Mm. If my Fadior be aAnltcd,
I will nidekvoiir to itfcmhim ; if bo bt kiikd* 1 will do
rifhc to hit Memory i and aU this not in a&y Tranfport
of Paffioo; bot in flonour and Co a fei c acc * Ndtheriscbere
any need c^> Anger where Rcaibn docs the (ame Tlimg.
A Man may be temperate* and yet vigorous, and nui^
his Mind accordti^ ip the Occaiioot more orlcfi, as a
Stone i» thrown according to the Difcretioo and Intent *
of the Caller. How ontragioas have I ieen ibme People
for the Lois of a Monkey, or a Spaniel? And were it
not a Shame to have theiaine Senfe for a Friend that we
have A>r a Pappy ; and to cry like Chitdcen» as much
for a Baiibte, as for the Roin of oar Country ? This is
not the ECed of Reafeiw bnT of lofinnity. For a Man
indeed to OLpok his P^fim (or his Ptince^ or for his Pa-
rents or his Friendi, oat of a Sedeof HoneiE^y, and a
Judgmeftt of Daty> it is^ without Difpute, a wordiy and
a ;glarioQS Adion ; bot it mnft he done then with Sobri<<
ety, CalomeTs, and.RelbIntjott. * It is high Time to con*
vince the World of the Indignity, and Uieleffiiefs of this
Paffion, when it has the Aoihority and Reeommenda*
tipn of no lefs tiun Jr^hik himielf, as an Afiefitioa
very niQ£b*fcond»ding. to all. heroic A6mbs, fibt requiro.
Heart and Vigour. Now, to (hew on the other Side, that
i^ i$ not ia ju»y Cafo.prdfit^ilfi, we^iail la^ open theob*
fiinatb and unbridled Mtdoefr of it : A Wickedneis.
neither itn&ble of Infamy, nor of Glory ; without either
Modefly»or Fear ; and} if it paff^s once from Anger into
arhardeoed Hatred, it is incurable. It is either Sronger
than Reafoo, or it is weaker. . If ilrongen there is no
contending: with it s if weaker^ Reafim wiU do the Bufi*
nefi without it Saam wiU have it that aa angry Man
is good natured, and fkicere ; whereas in troth,: he only
lays hiibfeir opeii oni of H^iefntfs and wadtof Can.
tion. If it were in itfelf good, ibe jnore of it the better ;
but in this Ca(e« the more, die worfe ; and a wife Man
d,oes hi^ Daty, w^idioot; the Aid of any Thing that is ill.
It is obje£led.by ibme, that ho 'e are the mio^ generous
Creatures, which are moft .probe to Ainger, &it firft,
JS^/ott in Mm, ta im^kuu ra Bmfir, -. Secondly^ with*
OMt Ptiof UniQi it nioa iAto A»dftGioiirae&, and Temesi-

•^ -

Cluip.V. Of A N G E R 22 j

tv ; Oi'er and above that the (ame.Thing does not help
all* If' Anger helps th6 Lion; it is Fear that faves the
Stag," SWiftAeia the Hawk, and Flight the Pigeon : (iut
Man hat 6W for his Example (who- is never ^ngry) and
ttot th^ Creatures. And yec it is not amifs fometioies' ta
counterfeit Anger ; as upon the- Stage : Nay, upon th^
Bench, and in the Pulpit, where the Imitation of it is'
nsore effedual, than the Thing itfeif. Bat it is a ^reat
Error to take this Paffion either for a Companion, or for
ad Affiftant to Virtue ; that makes a M^ inoapabhi of
thofe necefikry Counfds, by which Virtue is to govcra
herfelf. Thofe are falfe and inaa^cious Powers, and
deflrudive of themfelves, which anfeonly from the Ac*
ceffion and Fervor of a Diieafe; Reafon judges accord-'
ing to Right r Anger wiU have every Thing feem right,-
wharever it does ; and when it has once pitched upon a
Mi&dce, it it never to be convinced ; but prefers a Per-
tinacy even in the greattft Evil, before the moft neceflkry
Repentance.

Some People are of Opinion, that Anger * inSames and
animates the Soldier ; that it is a Spur to % ja -
bold and arduous Utxdenakings, and that cl^ "'^^
lb were better to moderate it, than wholly to ^J^'^^^
Ibpprds it; for fear of difTolving the Spirit **^^^
and Force of the Mind. To this I anfwer. That Vir«
tae does not need the Help of Vice, but where there is
an'Ardour of Mind neceflary, we may roafe ourielves,
' and br more or lefs biifk and vigorous, as there is Occa«
fion': But all widiout Anger flili. it is a Millake to fay,
that we may make uie of Anger as a common Soldier,
bat not as a Commanders for it it hears Reafon, and fol-
lows Orders, it is not properly Anger; and if it does
not, it is contumacious, and mutinous. By this Argu«
ment a Man mofl be angry to be valiant ; covetous to
be induflrious s ' timorous to be fafe; which makes our
Reafon confederate with our Affediibns. And it is all
one whether Paffion be inconfiderate without Reafon,
or Reafon inefiedaal without Paffion ; fiiice the one can*
iK>t be without the other. It is true, the lefs the Pa^on,
the^efs is the Mifohief; for a little PaiBon is the
fmaller'Evil. vNay, fo fkr is it from being of Ufe or
.Advantage inttlte Field, that it is the Mace of ail others

Z24 SENECA Cliap.V.

vhere it is the moft dangerous ; for the Adions of War
are to be managed with Order and Caution, not Preci-

Iication and Fancy : Whereas Anger is heedl^fs, and
eady, and the Virtue only of ^^^otf/^r^/zM/; which»
though their Bodies w(re much flrongert and more har-
dencdy were ftill wor^ by the Moderation, and Diici-
pline of the Romans » - There is not upon the Pace of the
£arth a bolder, or a more indefatigable Nation' than the
Germani: npt a btaver upon a Charge, nor a hardier a-
^ainft Colds and Heaxs; their only Deb'ghtand Exerdie
is in Arms» to the utter Negled of all Things t\^e : and
yet upon the Encountter, they are broken and deftroyed
through their own undifciplined Temerity, even by the
mofl effeminate of Men« The Huntfman is not angry
with the wild Boar, when he either purfues, or receives,
him; a good Swordfman watches his Opportunity, and
keeps himfelf upon his Guard, whereas PaHlonlays a Man
open : Nay, it is one of the prime LelF.ns of a Fencing*.
School, to learn not to be angry. If Fahius had been
ckcl yic^ Rof/ii had been loj: and before he' conquered
M^imihal^ he overcame him/tlf. If Scjpio had been an^
^fjt he would never have left HanniiaU and his Armjr
(who were the proper Qbjofls of his Diipleaiure) to cai>
ry the War into J/ric^ and fo compafs his End by a
more temperate XVay. Nay, he was fo flow, that it was
charged upon him for want of Mettle and Refolutioo.
And what did the other Sctfio {/^/ricanus I mean ?) How
much Time did he fpend before Numamta^ to tb^ comn
ihon Grief boxh of his Country and himfelf? 1 hough.
lie reduced it at lail, hy (b mifer^Ie a Famine, that the
Inhabitants laid violent Hands upon themfelves, and left
neither Man, Woman nor Child to furvive the Ruins
of it. if Anger makes a iVJan fight better, fo does Wine»
Phrenfy, nay* and Fear itfelf; for the. greateft Coward
in Defpair docs the greateil Wonders. No Man is cou->
ragioqs jn his Anger that was not fo without it. BlC put
the Caic that Anger, by Accident, may have done fome
Good, and fb have Fevers removed fome Diilempers ^
but it is an odious kind of Remedy, tha( makes us in*
debied to a Dire<:fe for a Cure. How many Men have
been {referred byPoifonj by a Fall from a Precipice;

CJwp.V- Of A; N G E R. a^y

by a Shipwreck f by a Tempeil ? Does it therefore fd^
Ipwy that we are to recommend the Practice of thefe-
Ekperiments / '

BUTia caft of an txamplarj, and* preftittiltDiJ/olutiom
»fMa:iturs, livhtK Clodiui fiall it pre- «„ , ,.
/hrtJ, *W Cicero rtjeOtd ; tvbm Ley- .J'.rlif"/?
akrJbJi be ir„ken uftn tbi Wheth, and «'/»**/ /^''*''-
treafonfit trtumtbant upinthe Bimb; "V'PjMn^uer tr
is not this, a SuhjeS to moiie tke Cboler ^^ •

•/ any 'vi'^tuous Man P No, by no Means, Vhtuc wilR
never allow of the correding of one Vice by another ^
or that Anger, which is ihje greater Crime of the two,
ihould prefame to panilh die lefs. It is the natural^
Property of Virtue to make a Man ierene and chearfol i
and it is not for the Dignity of a Phtlofopher, to be*
transported' either with Grief op Anger; and then the*
End of Anger Is Sorrow;, the co'nftant Effedt of Difap-
pointment and Repentance. But to my Purpole. if a>
Man fhould be angry at Wickednefs, the greater the*'
Wickednefs is, the greater mail be his Anger; and
{b long as there is Wickednefs in the World, he muft*
If ever be pleafed. Which makes his Quiet dependent'
upon the Humour or Manners of others. There paiFes
not a Day over our Heads, but he that is choleric, ftalk
have fame Caufe or other of Difpleaf re, either fronv
Men, Accidents, or Bufinef^r He (hall never ftir out
of his Houfe, but he Ihall meet with Criminals of a'S
forts; prodigal, impudent, covetous^ perfidious^ conten-'
tious ; Children perfccqting their Parents ; Parents curi^
ing their Children ; the Innocent accufcd, the Dclin-*
q^uent acquitted, and the Judge pradidng that in hia*
Chamber, which *hp condemns upon the Beach.: in fine^^
wherever there ar€f'Mt.'n, there are Faults; and upon-
thefe Terms, Socrates himfelf fhoalJ never bring the
iame Countenance Itome agaiftVthat he carried ■ cut withs
him.

If Anger were fufferabte in any Cafe, it might beal-
Ibwed againft an incorrigible Criminali • <y ^. . •
cinder the Hand of • Juftice: But.Po. ^'f'' " f''^
Aiihment is not matter of Anger, but «»^ '^«/'^^'^-
of Caution. The Law is witltout Paffion, and fli^ike»
Malefa^ors as we do Serpents and venomous Creatoress,

L 5

226 S E K i C Jt ciu^V.

ftejr feftr of greater MifcUcf. It is not fof tlie Digniiy of
a Judge» when he comes to pronounce the fatal Sentence,

' to exprefs any Motions of Anger in his I^ooks, Words,
or Geftures : For he eonclemns the Vice^ not the Man ;
and looks upon \he Wickedness without Anger, as he
does upon the Profperlty of wicked Men witliout E^nvv.
Fut tht^iigh he be not an^ry* I wonld have him a little ',
moved m point of Humanity ; bot yet without any OR
fence either to his Place> or Wifdom. Our Fafltons vary,
but Reaifon is equal ; and it were a great Folly for that
which is ftable, faithful, and fo»n(C to repair for Snc-
cour iO'that which is uncertain,. £dfe, and diffcmpered.

. If itm Offisnder be incurable, uke him out of the World,
th«t if he will not be good, be may ceafe to be evil ; but
t^i< n^uft be without Anger too. Does any Man hate an
Arot, or ft Leg, when he cuts it off? or reckon tJhai a
Paffion, which is only a rorferable Cure? We knock
m^d Dogs on the Head, asd remove fcabbed Sheep
out of the Fold : and this is not Anger ffillt but Reafon ;
to fepartte the Sick from the Sound. JuHice cannot
be angry i .nort$ there any need of an angrv Magtftnite,
for the Puniihtnent of foolifli arid wickeci Mtn. The
Power of Life and Death, mu& not be managed with
Caffipn. We give a Horfe the Spur, that is reftif or
j^ddiQi* <^d tries to call hir Rider. Bat this is without
Anger too, and only to take down his Stomach^ and bring
him by Corre£tion to Obedience.
. It is trte> that Corre&ion is ceccirary, ^ yet withiift
# r J9' ' l^eafon and Bounds; for it does not hurt
l^rrefftdn ts ^^^ n^fits us under an Appearance of
nuij^ry but ^^^ jy Difpofitions in the Mind arc
^ttbm Bounds, to be dealt with as thofc in the Body;
-^ e Phyfician firH tries Purging, and Abilinence ; if this
will not do, he proceeds to Bleeding, nay to difmembring;
rtther than fail; for thee is no Operation too (evere that
^ ends in Health. The public Ma^firate^ begins with
Pcifuafion, and his Bufineis is to t)eget a l5eteflatioa
of Vice, and a Vcncraiion for Virtue : From thence,
if need be, he advances to Admonition, and Reproach,
and then to Puniihments ; but moderate and revokable,
^nleis the Wickednefs be incurable, and then the Puniih-
ment mufl he to too. There is only this Difference,

C&ap.VL 0£ Av N 6 S R. zzy

thePhyfictan» when he cannot ikve bU Patient V Life,
endeavours to make his Death eafy; biut the Mag-^i*
ilrate aggravates the Peath of the Criminal with Iniam y
and Diigrace ; not as delighting in the Severity of t
(lor no good Man can be fo barbarous) burfor Exampic^
and to the End that they that will do no Good livings
in ay do fome dead. The End of ail Corredion, i^
either the Amendment of wicked Mei^, or to prevent
the Influence of ill Example :^ For Men are panifhed wich;
a^Refpe^t to the Future, not to expiate OfFences cooi-
mittedy but faxr fear of worfe to come; Public .OiFentl-
ders muH be a Terror to others ; but ftill all this while,
the Power of Life and Death ma I not be managed witb
Fafljon. The Medicine* in the mean Time, mull be fa it^
cd to the Difeafe: Infamy cures, one; Pain annher;
Exile cures a third ; Beggary a fourth ; bu^ there are Tome
that are only to be cured by the Gibbet 1 would be no>
iQore angry with a Thief» or a Traitor, than I am angry
with mylelf wbea I open a Vein. All PuniAunent is but
a. moral or civil Remedy. I do not do any Thing th.it
H very^ ill, but yet T tranfgrefs often; Try me firll with
a^pnvate Kepreheniion, and then with a public; if that
will not ferve, (ee what QaniHim^t will do ; if not that
neithery load me with Chains,-lay me inPrifon ; bjit if C.
£hou]d prove wicked even for Wickednefs Sake, and leave
no Hop^ of reclaiming me, it would be a Kind of Mercys ^
t6 deftroy meu Vice is incorporated with me ;: and theiie
is. no Remedy, but tlie taki^ig of both aivay together ;»
bitf fUll without Anger.

CHAP. VL
j/fig^r in general^ with ^ Danger and ISfft^ ^fiK

THERE is no furer Argument of a great Mind,
than not to be tranfjporied to Ang.r by^'any Accik ^
dent. The Clouds, and the Tempefts are formed be^
16w, but all ahvtii is quiet and ferene: which is the 1' m^^
blem of a bra^e Man, that fuppreiTes all Provocations,
and lives within himfelf,'modelbk venerable, and contpo*- .

. L 6

128 SENECA Chap.Vr.

fed: Whereas Anger tsa tarbulent Hamour, w^ich at
firft daih caf^s offsAl Shame, without any Regard to Or*
dtr, Meafure, or good Manners ; tranfporting a Man in-
to jni/becoming Violences, with his Tongue, his Hands,
and every Part of his Bod)e^ A nd Whoever coniiders the
Foalnefs, an3 the Brutality of this Vice« muft acknow-
ledge, that there is no fuch Monfler in Nature, as one
Man raging again ft another, and labouring to fink that,
which can never be drowned, but with himfelf for Com-
pany. It renders us incapable, either of Oiicourfe, or
of other coninnon Duties, it is of all Paffions the moft
powerful: for it makes, a Man that is in Loye, to kill
his Miftrefs ; the ambitious Man to trample upoa his Ho*
noari, and the covetous to throw away his Fortune.
There is not any Mortal that lives free from the Danger
of it; for it makes even the heavy, and the good natur-
ed to be fierce an J outragious : It invades us like a Pef^
tilence, the luily as well as the weak; and it is not
cither Strength of Body, or a good Diet, that can iecure'
us againft it ; nay the learnedeft, and Men otherwife ot
exemplary Sobriety, are infefted with it* It is fb potent
a Paflion, that Socrates durft not truft himfelf with it.
Sirrah {fays he ta~his Man) tio^ nx/ouIJ I beat you^ if I
'icert not attgry tjoith you. There is no Age or Seft of
Men that eicapes it. Other Vices take us one by one ;
hot this, \\\ittiXk epidemical Contagiony fweeps all : Men,
'Women, and Children ; Princee, and Beggars are carri-
ed away With it^in Shoals, and Troops, as one Man. Ft
Kvas never Teen, that a whole Nation was in love v^ith
one Woman, or unanimonfly bent upon one Vice: Bat
here and there, fome particular Men are tainted with
ipme particular Crimes : Whereas" in Anger, ^a .fingle
Word many Times intames the whole Multitude, and
Men betake themfelve^ prefently to Fire and Sword up*
on ic : the Rabble take upon them to give Laws to their
Gprernof; ; the cominon Soldiers to their Officers, to
the Ruin net only of private Families, but of Kingdoms,
luraing tb^'r Arms againd their own Leaders, and chnf-
ing their pwn Generals. There is no public Counfel ; no
pulling of Things to the Vote; but in a Rage, the Muti-
neers divide f 6m the Senate, name their Head, force
the Nobility in their orwnHoufes, and put them toDeatli

; I

Chap. VI. 0<* A N G E R. aiy

with their own Hands. The Lawrof Nadons are vior
laeed, the Perfons of public Miniftcr* afFronted, whole
Cities infected with a general Madnefs, and no Reipite
allowed for the Abatement, or difcuffing of this* pu*
bHc Tumour. The Ships are crowded with tumultuary
Soldiers. And in this rude^ and ill-boding Manner they
inarch, and a£k under the Conduct only of their own Paffi-
ons. Whatever comes next (erves them for Arms, untit
at lall they pay for their licentious Rafhnefs, with the-
Slaughter of the whole Party ; This is the Event of 3
heady, and inconiiderate War. When Mens Minds are
itruck with the Opinion of an Injury, they fall on imme-
diately wherefoever their PaiBon leads them, without
either Order, Fear, or Caution, provoking their own Mif-
chief; never at Reft, until they come to filows ; and"
purfuing their Revenge, even with their Bodies upon the
roints of their Enemies Weapons. So that the Angel*
itlelf, 19 much more hurtful for us, than the Injury that
provokes it; for the one is bounded, but where the other
will ftop no Man living knows. There are no greater
Slaves certainly, than thofe that ferve Anger, for they im-
prove their Misfortunes by an Impatience .nK)re infup-
portable than the Calamity that caufes it.

Nor does it rife by Degrees, as other Baflions, bat
flaihes like Gun powder* blowing' up » ^ ,,
aU in a Moment. Neither does it only f '^^'^ ^/^^^ *A
prefs to the Mark, but overbears evepy ^^; '* ^ M^mettt^
Thing in the way to it. Other Vices drive us, but this
hurries us headlong ; other Paffions fla^id £rm tbemfelves^
though perhaps we cannot refifl them ; but this confumes,.
and deftroys itfelf; It falls like Thunder, or a,Tem-
peft, with an irrevokable Violence, that gathers Strength
in the PaiTage, and then evaporates iq the Conclufion.
Other Vices are unrtafonahlt^ but this is unhtalthful too ;
other Diftempers have their Intervals, and Degrees, but
in this we are thrown down, as from a Precipice : There
is not any Thing fo amazing to others, or fo deftruAive
to itfelf; fo proud, and infolent if itfucceeds ; or fo ex-
travagant, if^it be difappointed. No Repolfe difcourages
it, and for want of other Matter to work upon, ic falls
foul upon itfelf; and let the Ground be never fo trivial,'
U it fufficient for the wildeil Outrage imaginable. It

6

%^ $ S N B C Ab aap.VL

fp«ret neither AgCi^ Sex* nor Qodi^, Some People;
would be iuxuriout perdiiBce» but diat they are poor ^
and others laz^, if thejr were not perpetually kept at
work. The Simplictty of a Country Life keeps many
Men in ignorance of die Frauds and Impieties of Courts
a|id Camps : But, no Nation, or ConditioQ' of Men i»
exempt from the Imprei&ons of Anger, and it is equally
dangerouF, as well in War, as in Peace. We find that
Elephants will be made familiar; ffuUs will fuffer Chil-
dren to ride upon their fiacke, and plav their Horns ;.
Sears and Lions, by good U(aee> will oe brought to
fawn upon their Mailers ; how defperate a Madnels is it
then for Men» after the reclaiming of the fieiceAof BeaHs*
and the bringing of them to be tradable^ and domeftkv.
to become yet vb'orie than fieads one to another ? Al^x^^
tender had two Friends* ClyUis and Lj/fmachuii th^ one'
he expoied to a Lion, the other to himfelf ; and he tbar
was turned loofe to the Beaft efcaped. Why do we
not rather make the beft of a ihort Life*, and render our*
felves amiable to all while we live,^ and* defirable whea
we die?

\ Let us bethink ooffelves of our Mortality, amd net
fquander away the little • Time that « jj^aer 's Lcf mfi
we have npon Anirooilties and Feiids, <y.. ^'^^ ^f ^'
as if it were never to be at an end. ^'^i* ^ /"^^
Had we not better enjoy the Plcafarc of ^ *^
#or own Lifev than be ftill contriving how to gall and-
torm.ent< another*s ? In all ourBrawIings and Conten-*-
tions/ never fo much as dreaming of our Weaknefs.
Do we not know that thefe implacable Enmities of cura
He at the Mercy of a Fever, or z\iy petty Accident or
pifappointment ? Our Fate is at Hand, and the ver/
Hour that we have fet for another Man's Death, may
peradventure be prevented by our own. What is it
that we make all this Baflle for, and fo needlefsly dii^
quiet our Minds ? We are offended with our Servants,
our MaKerSy our Princes, our Clients : It is but a little
Patience, and we fhall be allof us equal ; fo thit there
39 no need either of Ambufhes, or of Combau. Our
Wrath cannot go beyond Death ; and Death will mod
undoubtedly come, whether we be peevtih or qu et. It
is Time loft to take Pains to do that, which wiQ infallibly

C3atp.yh- Of *A N G £ k. 2}i

be done'witkoat ti». 6flt> fuppofe that' ^^' wotil^ onK]ir

have our Eneiny batrifttid^ difgraced; or dkoiag^i tet^Kts'

Paniflifflent be more or lefs, it is yet too lofng, either for-

him to he inhulnanly tormented, or for us oerfTelves to'

be imft barbarouiiy pleafed >Krith it. It h6fds m Anger

as ill Moariringy it muft, and will ait laft fal! of itfelf ; let

us look to It then betimes, for when W is once Come to

an ill Habit, we (half never want Matter to fctd it ; ai|<l

it is much better to overcome otrr Paffions; than tobe-

overcome by them. SOtae Way or othei'i eWier oar Pa-

retits. Children, Servants, Acquaintance, or'- Strangers^

wni be continually vexing^ os. We are' tofled^ hither and

thither, by our Afie6kioiis,' I'ikeaFtatht^ in a Storm, and

by frefh Provocations theMadhefir becorae^r petpetual.

Miftrable Creattirts f ' that levtr out pi^citms Hc/txtr (hould^

be (b iH employed ! Howpfonef and eagtr are w«f in* our

Hiatrdd, and how backward in our Love! Were it not

much better now to be making of Friendfhip^^ pacify^

ing of Enemies ; doln^ of G<xk1 Offices both public and

private, than to be fHu meditating of Mtfchiei^ and de-»

lignifig how to wound one Man in his Fame^, another in

his Fortune, a third in his Perlbn ? the one being fo'ea^

ly, innocent, and fife? and the other ib diffienh^ ioipt*

Otis, and hazardous. Nay, take a Mktt in Chains, and

1^ the Foot of his Opprefibr ; how many are there, who,

even in this Cafe,] have maimed themfeives in the Heat

cf their Violence upon others ?

This untraceable faffibn is much more^ tstiHy kept
ottt, than governed when it is once ad* « ^ .

mitted ; for the ftroirger wifl give Laws ,^/ f !. "^^l
to the weaker; ani make Reafon a ^^'^'^^fj^^^^
Slave to the Appetite. It carries as i^^^*^^^
headlong, and in the Courfb of our Fury, we have no
more Command of 9ur Minds, than we have of our Bo-
dies down a Precipice; when they are once in Motion,
there is no Stop till;they come to the Bottom. Not but
that it h poflible for a Man to be warm in Winterji. and
not to fweat in Sumnirer, either by die Benetfit of the
-Place, or the Hardinefs of the Body ; and in like Man-
lier we may provide againft Anger. But, certain it is,
that Virtue and Vice can never agree in the il^meSub-
jt6l ; and one may be as well a fick Man and a found ac

tiz S E N E C A Cbtp.

the ftn^ Tittle^ as a good Man, f nd an angiy, Bcfide,.
if we will needs be quarreliome, it iSQft & either with
oor Superior, oar Eqaal, or Inferior. To contend virith
oar Superior is FoUy and Madneis ;. with oar Eqaals it,
is dpubtCul and dangerous ; and wiih our Inferiors, it ia:
bale. For doft any Man know bat that he that it now:
oiir Eneoiy, may come hereafter to be our Frieod, over
aad above the RepoUtion of Clemency, and good Na^
tare. And what can be more honourable, or comfort-
ab!e» than to exchange a Fend for a Friend (hip ? The
People of R$me never h^ more faithful Allies^ than.
thoie that were at fii A the moil obHinate Enemies : Nei-
ther had the R$m4at Empire ever arrived at that Height
of Power, if Providence had not mingled the Vanqnifiied
with the Conquerors^ There is an End of the ConteH,.
when one Side deierts it : So that the paying of Anger
with Benefits puu a Period to the Controverfy. Bat k>vir-
ever if it be oar Fonstne to tranfgre(s( let not our. Anger,
defcend to the Children) Friends, or Relations, even b£
our bittereft Enemies. The very Cruelty of Syila was
heightened by that Indance of incapacitating the^'iTue or
the Profcribed* It is inhuman to intail the Hatred we
have for the Father upon his Poderitj. A good and a
wife Man is not to be an Emmy of wicked Men, but a.
Reprruer of them ; and he is to look upon all the Drun«^
kaids, the luftfn), thethankleis, covetous, and ambicioas^,
that he meets with, no otherwife than as a Physician
*Iooks npon his Patients; for he that will be angry with
any Man^ mall be diipleafed with aily. which were as
ridicdotts, as to quarrel with a Body for Humbling in
the Dark i with one that is deaf, for not doing as yea.
bid him ; or with a SchooLboy for loving his rlay bet-
^ ter than his Book. Democritut laughed^ and Heradi^
tui *wefi at the FoUy and Wickedaefs of the World,
but we never r^ad of an angry Phih/opher,

Tuia is undoubtedly the moft deteftable of Vices..
, ^ even compared with the word of them*.

f^-^f // J^ /; Avarice fcrapes and gathers together,
deteftabiitf aU ^^^ ^j^.^j^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^^^

Fices* . for : But Anger laihes out, and no Man^.

comes off gra:iu An. Angry Mafler makes one Ser-
vant run away, and another hang himfelf ^ and hisr

r

c\iap.VL Of A 1>4 G E R. 233*

m

Chol&i cauies him a much greater Lofs than he fufiered
in the Occafion of it. It is the Caufe of Mourning ta.
the Father^ and of Divorce to the Hufbaixd : it. makes,
the Magiftrate odiotiSy and gives the Candidate a Re- ,
pulfe. And it 19 wor[e than Luxury tt)o» which only
aims at its proper Pleafure^ whereas the.othei' is bent
upon another Body's Pain. The Malevolent and the:
SuvioQs content themfelves only to nvijb another Man ,
miferable; but It is the Bufinefs of Anger Xomake him'
io ; and to wrack the Miichief itfelf, not fa much de- ,
iiring th^ Hurt of another, as to ii>HiA it* Among the,
powerful, it breaks out into open War, and into a.
private one with the common People, but without Foice.
or Arms. It engages us in Treacheries* perpetuaU
Troubles, and Contentions: It alters the very Nature^
of a Man« and punifhes itfelf in the Perfecution of others*.
Humanity excises us to Love, diis to Hatred; that to^
be beneficial to others, this to hurt them: Beiide that^
though it proceeds froni too high a Conceit of purfclves^\
it is yet in e^edt but a narrow and contemptible Affec*
tion, efpecially when it. meets with a Mind that is hard>'
and impenetrable; and returns the Dart upon the Head
of him that cafts iL ' '. .

To take a farther View now of • the miferabld
Confequences, and (anguinary Ef- # <rA a ./• 11 p-
feds of this hideous Diftemper ; from ^ \r '«'>'^'^ V-
hence came Slaughters, and Poifons, ^'^' ^-^ f *^^-
Wars, and Deiblations, the razing, and burning of Ci-
ties; the unpeopling of Nations, and the turning of p6-.
pulous Coumries into Defarts; public Mailacres and
Regicides ; Princes led in Triumph : fome murdered in.
their Bed«chambers ; others dabbed in the Senate> or
cut oS* in the Security of their Speftacks, and Plea-
{^Tts* Some there are that take Anger for a princely
Quality; as Darius^ who in his Expedition againft the
Scythians p being belbught by a Noble man that had three .
Sons, that he would vouchfafe to accept of two 'of
them into his Service, and leave the third at home fbp
a Comfort for his Father. I <u;ill do mon for y§u flat^
tbai^ (ays Darius» far you Jb^l haifi them ail thr^ am,
gain ;. So he ordered them to be flain before his Face,^
and left him their Bodies. But Xemti dealt a little.

134 S Q N B C A CSby.Vi.

better with Fyibim^ who hid five Sons, and dt&stA
oiilf one 4^" them fbrtimfeJf. Jbrxa bade him uke his
Ciidtcer and he named the E)^efi^ whom he tmmedi-
ately eomm^ded to be ctit in Halves; and one Half
<^die Body icr be laid oA' each SHit of the Way, when
hk Afttjr wal to paft betwixt them : ifndoubrcdly a>
moftaiif^doiisSaenfice; buchecame afterward to the
End diac he deferved ; |or he lii^ed to fee that prodi-

f;ious Power fcaMred* and bcioken ; and inflead of mi-
fauy, and vidoriona Troops^ to be encompaffed with
Carcafes. Bat thefiBt yOu«wi!I fay, were only barbarous
Princer, that knew neither Civitity, nor Letters : And
theft iavage Cruelties will beimpnted perchance to their
Rudeilefs of Manners and want of Difdpline. Btit what
will' yon fify then of Akxandet tht Griat^ that was
tiainednipuoder the Inftitotiongf w^^#//^himfelf ; and
killed CljiMs his Favourite and $chool-fdlow» with his
§n»n HanJt under his o«iu« Rddf, and aver the freid$m •/
a Cup pf Wim f And what was hil Crime ? He was lo&
to Regenerate from a Mmcedtmidm Liberty into a Perfiam
Zhtverj : that Is to lay, he conid not faiter, Lyfimtk^
dwt another of his' Fridtds, he eltpofed to aLion;
sMdthh'vety Lyfimatbh^ after fa^iiad efcaped this Dan-
ger« was never the more roerdfoly when he came to
reign fafmfelf; for he cut off the Ears and Nofe of his
Fnend 7V/#/^srH»: and when h^ had disfigcurd him»
that ha had no longer the Face of Man, he threw him
toj^O a Dangeon» and there kept' him to be fhewed for a
Monfi^r, as a' fttiange Sight. The Place was (o ]ow»
that he was 6in to creep upon all fonr, and his Sides
were galled too with the Straithefs'of it. In this Mifeiy '
he lay haff-famiihed in his own Filth ; fo odioof » io ter«
rUtte* aikl ib l6athfome a Spe£lac'e, that the Horror of
h^ Condition had eveti excingui(hed all Pity for him.
Ihrbrng ^as ever fo unlike a Mati as the foar fFrtub
ihdtfojf^d thiiy fatiinf: the tyrant that ttaedlt.

Nor did this mercilefe Hardnef^ onlyexercife itfelf
C&# C lim ^"'^"S Foreigners, but the Ficrccnefi of their
!rfS U Outrages and Puniftiments, as well a? their

W **y» *• Vices broke in upon x\ie Roinam, C. Mariusf
tthx had'his Statue fct up every where, and vvas adored as
a God I L^SytU comn^anded his BOnesto be bi;pke|i, hit

ChaiKVL Of A N & E lt« 2jf,

Ryes to b« put out, his Hsndt lobe ^ii«ff;aiMi» atiT
everv Wooa^ ^ad been a feveral Death, Us Body lobe lom
to Pieces, 9xd Cmiine wat tb^ Execvtioottw A Gmilgir

that was only fit &r Maritu tg^jfjir ; 5f Ai to cMVMaiNf»
and. Catiiini to «^ ; but mofl; dijpenbiiraK^ wbA &tai^ ^
tl^ Comnionwealtb*, to fall IndiiTerently apoa tiw SttiMMia^
Points both of Citizens and of foemies.

It was a fevere inibifce that of Pifi ^ 'too. A Sol-
difsr that had Leave to go abroad with ^ ^ i »
his Cooiradet came back to the Camp ^mm^^Z^^^
at his dme. Eat withiQttthu Company o#«iw#p^ni«^

Pj/9 Gondeiluis him to die* 9^ n he had killed. htm» and
appoints a Centxnion'to fee th^'^Ekfccndon. jaft as tho
Headfman was ready to do bis Office, the other Soldier
appear^r teethe' gttat Joy of the whole Ftefd, and the
Centurion bade »e £xecationer hold his Hand : Here*
upon Pifit tna'ftage^'moimtaithefWW^and ffteteaceis
aiU ihsee to Death : The $Mii becanfe he was cvndvmud \
the AN&i«-»i becaafe it was for his fidt» ihax, his Fellow-^
ibidier wis i^hitwmid ; the Qm^wivn^ for not obeying^
tke Ordit of bis Smfnimr. • An ingenious Piece of In ha« .
jsani^, to contiivo how to make three .Crimtnaia^whero -
efiedoaly<'theii0 Were none* Thiete was 'a^ WirfiaitlSaxi^
tkat caoftd d» Nofo xH' a wbcfte Nation to. be tut o^»
and theyweie A thank him that hefpardditheff Heads. .
And' th» pcdiaps would have been the Faio Of the*
Mmargbh {if Providence' had ^lot landeredit) for tfar Fitter-
dnn theyiifed to Cksv^i^s Anbai&doi^ in notaccepttoj^.
the flavifli Terms that were o^red dteih; This pioc:
QmdnjfthixlXo fuch'a.Rage, that be preieatly hiied inft<».
his Servkie' every Man that was able to bear Arms ^'OmI *
wHthoot either ErovidonS' or Goidesyi marchi^ .iaunedi*
ateiy thnNigli*dry and 'barren- DefartTi and> wbere never ^
any Mm had fiaifod before him» to* take his RovengjS* :
Before he. was a third Fitrt> of the Wav>- htr FfO#ifioais^
failed him; his Men. iit£rfty nmde fhsft with thie Buds
of Trees, boiled: Leather, and the iik€ ;. bttt (bon'af^ec*
there was nofib modi as aRoot or^a Plant to begotten*.
nor aiivtoj Creatme to befeen; #nd then, by Lot, ever^:
tendb Mi|a.was to die^ for a NooriiimcBt tothciefti^
which was flili worie-than the FamJntft Boi: yet- this-
paffiooaye.'King went' fir fart tilUo^e pattof hi» A^my

2j6 S 1 N: E C A ' Chap.Vir.

was feft, and the other d^evoofed*, and ttlflic feared that
he himfelf might come ta be ferved with the fame Sance..
S(7 chat at laft he ordered a Retreat, wanting no Delt-
cacks all ^his Whilefor himfelf ; while hisSoIdjers ifi/eie
tatting then" Chance who fh«mld die ipifefkble, or live
Wbrfe. Hire was an Anger taken op againfi a whole
N^cionji that neither deierved any TMfrom him, nor was
fotnUch as IboDwn to him.

CHAP. y\u

'i
Thi trJinany Grmfuls tmd Occafi$ns of jfnger,

IN this wandring State of L)fe» we meet with manjr
Occaftons of Trouble, and Dl^leafure^ both great
and tclvial ; and not a Day paflet< but from. Men, or
Things, we have fome Caiie or other for O&nce ; as a
Man mu^ expert to be jimJed, daflied and crowded in a
populoui City. One Man deceives our £xpe£latioQ :
Another delays iti and if leveiv Thing does not fiioceed
to our Wi(h, we pieienily fall out eraier wkh the Per«.
fon, theBofineisy the Place, ourfoitane, oroorfelves*.
Some Men , value themfelves upon their Wit, and wilt
never forgive any one that pretends to leflen it : Ochen
are inflamed bv Wine ; and fame are diftempered by
Sicknefs, Wearinefi, Watchings, Love, Care, ^r. Some
proAe to it by Heat of Conftitutioa; but moif^, dry, and
cold Complexions are moil liable to other Affedtons, a&
Snfpicion, Defpair^ Fear, Jealoufy, fsTr* But molt of our
Quarrels are of our own contriving. Otie while we .
fu^e^t upon Mifiake; and another while we make a
gveat Matter of Trifles. To iay the Truth, moft of
thofe Things that exafperate us, are rather Subjefls of
DHgHil, than of Mifchief : There is a large Difference
betwixt oppofing a Man's Satisfadion, aod-not aifiiling
it; betwixt tating anoay^ and not gMngi. but we reckoa
upon ilifiyimg and Aferringt. as the. fame T^ing; and
interpvet another'*^ being ^r ki^r/ei/, as if he wereagam^
g^ £^y, we do many Time8.entei-tain an ill Opinion o£.

• KJh^.yil. Of A.,N G. E.. R. r«}7

Welldbmgi and a good ontf of the cootMry : And we

h'jLte a Man for doing that very Thing which ivr ihould

ihate him for on the other SiJe, if he did not do iu We

take it ill to be oppofed whes there 19 a Father pcsrhafls,

a Brother^ or a Friend in the Cafe agaioA^us 1 when we

ihould rather loire a Man for it;, and only mi(h that he

<:ould he honeftly #f oar Party. We aoprOv^ of >ihe

Fad, and deteft the Doer of it. . It is « ha<^ TIimi^ to

hate the Perfon whom we caniiot but comoi^nd; but it

is a great Deal worfe yet» if we hate him for, the very

Thing that deferves CooiveAd^ioa. The Thtngi that

'we de(ire» if they be jfiwh a3 cannot>be given- toone,

• ivithoat -being tafcett awiy fcom anoAer, UHi/l $eeiis iet

•thofe People together by the Eara that defire the iaine

Thing. One Man has a Defigiy upon my WiHStrth 3 an*

other upon mine Inheritance : And that whiqh -Ihoold

make Friends, makes Enemies ; our being all of a Mind.

The genel^l Caufe of An|er, is the SenTe, or Opinion of

an Injury ; that is, the Opinion elther.of an Injury fuaply

<lone, or of an Injury done which we have not deferved.

Some are naturally given* to Anger; otheraare provoked

to it by Qccafion ; the Anger of Women and Children,

ts commonly (harpt but not laftine-; old Men are rather

^uerelousy and peevifh: Hard Labour, Diieafes» Anxiety

of Thought, and whatlbever hurts the Body, or the Mind,

difpofes a Man to be froward^ but we maft not add Fire

to Fircik

He that duly coniidert die Subje^ * Matter of aU Qur
Comroverfies, and Quarrels, will find « ^> ^ ,, ^
them low, and mean, not worth the ^r^J.^^ -Jf/
Thought of a generous Mind; but the v ^'"' ^K *u
grcateftNoifcofall is about A/<>«)r. This '^^/^•'^^ '**
is it, that fets Fathers and Children to-. "^^^^'^
.gether by the Ears ; Hu(bands and Wives; and makes
Way for Sword and Poilbn : This it is that tries our
Courts of Jttftice, enrages Princes, and lays Cities in the
Duft, to feek for Gold and Silver in ^he Ruins of them.
This is. it that finds Work for the Judge, to determine
which Side it leaft.in the wrong; and who(e is the mod
|>laufible Avarice, the PlaintiiF, or the Defendant's : And
what is it that we contend for all this while, but thofe
Baubles tha make us cry, when we ihould laugh ? To

ajf SENECA Clop. VII.

fee a rKb oM C«ft that hat oobody to leave his Eflate
lo» break lil» Heart for a Han^fiii of Dkt ; aad a goutx
Worer that hat bo oeher Ule of hit Fiagers left bim^
but to oooat withal ; to ke him, I (ay» n the Extremk^r
•f Ml l^it, ^Kfnn^gfof the odd Money ha his lotcreft s
« If dl that » predoos in Nature were ga^ered into
tNie Maft. it were not wwih the TroaUe of a A>ber
MM. It were-eadleis to ran over all thpie ridicalous
PMom Aat are anoved abodt Meats, and Drinks, and
the matter of oar Lnxory ; nay, about Wotds, Looks^
Anions, 'Teahxifies^ MiiUecs» whkb are ati'of ,theio as
oantempdbfe Fdofotiea, as thofe ver^ Baubles that Chil-
liam icraidi and cry for* ' There is n^hing great* jor
larioat in all that which we ^keep fncb a Cletter :A)out 4
the Madae6 of it is« that we fet too great a Value tjpon
Trifies. One Man Bits oat upon a Salote, a Letter, a
8peech» a <^eflion» a Gdlare. a Wink, a Look. An
AAkm moves fMie Man ; a Word a#fe6b another : One
Man is tender of his Family « anodierof.hisPerfon ;
one fets «p for aO'Ofator, another for a Fhilolopber :
'This Man wilt not bear Pride, nor that Man Oppofitioo.
He that plays the Tjrran tat home, is ^ as gentle as a
Lanyb abroad. Some take Ofence if a Man a& a Favour
of then, and othorsif he does not. Every, Man has his
weak Side | let us If am windi tbatM, and <3ake Care of
it ; lor the lame TUng^ioes not work upon all Men
alike. Wfc are moved Tike Beads, at tlie idle Appear-
anees-of Things ', and the fiefoer the Creature,, the more
it is ilariled. The Sight of ^a red Coati^ragesa Birll ;
a Shadow provokes toe Afp ; tey, (6 unreatbnable are '
fome Men» that they uke modierate Benefits for Injories ;
and fquab^Ieaftout it with their noareft Relations : TSejf
lave done ibh and ihat fir eiben^ ' they cry ; and they
might have dealt hetiir mtikb us ifthefhaifdHifed. Very
jgood ! And if it be left tfun* we looked ^r, it may be
yet niore tksfi we- deferve. Of sdi vunijoiet Homoars*
this is the worft, that mil never (k^r any Man to be
happy, fa lone as he iees a happier Mba than himfelf*
I have known tome Men fo^eak, as to thiakthemfdves
contemned, if -z Horfe did not pb^ the jade with ii«w.
that is yet obedient to another j?/v2rr* .A; brutal RMf ;
to be.olF^ided at a mate Aai^nal ; ior no. U^fuy can be

Cluip.VlL Of A N 6 E R. ^H9

"^one 9s Widiout the Concttrreoce of Reafoh. A Beail
' may hort os, as a Sword, or a StonC} and do otherwife.
Nay, ibere arCf that will oomplain of fvul IVtmihir^ a
raging Sea^ a Uthg fVinter^ as if it were exprefly dt«
refked to tbem ; and this they charge npon Providence,
whofe Operations are all of theai {o far from being inju-
. rioqs, that they are beneficial to us.

How vain, and idle are many of thofe * Things that
. make us fUrk m^ ! A relly Horfe, the . « |^
* overturning of a Glafs, the falling of a ^ <r^i ^^
' Keyr the Dragging of a Chair, a Jca- ^"^ ^"^'•

loufy, a Mifconftrodion. How (hall that Man endare
^ the Extremities of Himger, and Thiril, that Hies out
jnto Rage for putting of a little too much Water in his
Wine? What Hade is there to lay a Servant by the Heels,
or bre<|k a Leg or an Arm immediately for it ; as if he
were not to have the faxpe Power over him an Hoar after*
that he has at that Inftant ? The Anfwer of a Servant^
a Wife, a Ifenant, puts fome People out of all Patience i
and yet they can quarrel with the Government for not
allowing them the fame Liberty in Public, which they
themielves deny to their own Families. If they fay
nothing, it is Contumacy : if they fpeak, or laugh, it is
Iniblence. As if a Man had his Ears given him' only
for Muiic ; whereas we mufl fufFer all Sorts of Noifes,
good and bad, both of Man and Beads* How idle isi it
to ftart at the tinkling of a Bell, or the creaking of a
IXior* when for all this Delicacy, we mud endure .1 hun*
der ? Neither are our £ycs lefs curious and phantaftical
than our Ears. Whep we are abroad, we can bear well
enot^h with foul Ways, nafly Streets, noifome Ditches ;
but a Spot upon a Diih at home, or an unfwept Hearth,
abiblutely diftrads us^ And what is the Reafon, but
that we are patient in the one Place, and phantaiHcalty
peevifli in the other ? Nothing rfiakes us more intempe-
rate . than Luxury, that (brinks at every Stroke, and
' ftarti at every Shadow. It is Death to fome to have
another fit above them, as if a Body were ever the more
• or the Ie(s honeft for the Cuiliion. But they are ouly
weak Creatures that think themfelves wounded if they
are but touched. One of the Sjf^arites, that faw a
FqHow hard at work a-diggine^ demed him to give over,

%

!^40 S E N . B C . A Oiap. VIJ.

for It made him weary to fee him : And it wa« an ordi-
nary Complaint with him, That ke could tah no Reft^
hecaufi tbt Rofe-leMtvis lay double under him, Wbei|
we are once wcakned with our Pleafbres, every Thing
grows intolerable. And we ^re angry a& wdl with
thb/e Things that cannot hart us, as with thofe that do,
Wc tear a Book, becaufe it is blotted i and our Cloaths
becaufe they are not well made : Things 'that neither
d^icTve our Anger, nor feel it. The Taylor perchance
did hit beft, or however had no Intent to difpleafe us :
If fot.iirft, Why fhould wc be angry at all : Secondly,
why fhoiikl we be angry with the Thing for the Mans
. Sake ? Nay, our Anger extend? even to Dogs^ Uorfes,
•and other Bealls.

Jt * was a blafphemous, and ^ fottifli Extravagance

• The hlafphe^ t^^,""^ F^'*" ^/^/''^ ^^^ iS^^?*"^""?

r ! J^pif^^ for making fuch « Noife wfth

^us i^sctrava- j^j^ fi,^„j,r that he could not iiear his -
^i 0/ L^aius ^^-^^^^ -jnd fo irtvenied a Machine in

* ** Imitation of it, to oppofe Thunder to

Thuuder; a bi^ital Conceit, ^imagine, either that he
could reach the Almighty, or that the Almighty could
ix>t reach him.

And every jot as ridiculous, though not (o imf^oas^

• J 'J' I was that of • Cyr«/ ; tvha, in his Defign
Ji rtateulout ^^^^2ah<lon, found a Rivet ihliis Way

Extran>agaMie ^^^^ ^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ y^^^^ . ^^^ ^^^

y yrus. rent was flrong, and carried away o*ne of
the Horfes that belonged to his own Chariot : Upof^ this
he fwore, that fince it hadob(lru<^ed his PaHage, itlhonld
never hinder any Body^s elfe; and prefently fet bis
whole Army to work upon it, which diverted it into a
Hundred and four Score Channels, and laid It dry. In
this ignoble land unprofitable Employment, ^he loft his
Time, and the Soldiers their Courage, and gave his Ad»
verfaries an Oppoitunity of providing themfelves, while
tie was waging War «dth a Rivci-> inlead of an Enemy.

CHAP.

Ch^. Vm. Of Ji N G E : R. -a^l

. :"[ CH'A P. VIII.

Aioiu in the Cafes if Contumefy and Revengf.^

OF Provocation^toAngcrthw are twoSoftj there
is aa Ifjifryf and there is a Contumey,. 1 he for-
mer in its own^Nature is the heavier ; the other flight
in itielF» and only troubleTooie to a wounded Imaginatlop.
And yet fome there are that will -bear Blqws, and Death
itfelf, rather than contumelious Words. A ConturaeJy
is an Itidignity b^low the Confideration of the very
l»aw I and not worthy either of a Revenge, or io much
as a Complaint. It is only the Vexation, and InHrmity
of ^ vv#ak hdindj as well as the Pradice of a haughty
and iniblent Natare> and iignifics no more to a wife and
fober Man than an idle Dream, that is no iboner pa(i
than forgotten. It \% true, it implieis Contempt ; b^t
what needs ai^y Man care for being contemptible to
others, if he be not fo to himfelf?. ¥<^ a Child in the
Arms to ilrike the Mother, tear the Hair, claw the Face
of her, and call her Names; That goes for nothing
with lis, becaufe the Child knows not' what he does.
Neithef are we. moved at the Impudence, and liitternefs
of a Buffoon ; though he fall opon his own Mafler, as weft
as th« Gfoeih : Bat (mh the contrary, vye encourage and
enltertain the Freedom* Are we not mad tlun to be
delighted and difpleafed with the fame Thing, and to
take that as an Injwy from one Man, whiph paiTes only
for a lUikrjf from another I He that is wife, will behave
himfelf toward all Men as we do to our Children : Fcr
tfa«y are bat Children too, though they have grey Hair« :
They are indeed of a larger Size, and their Errors are
grown up with them ; they live without Role, they call
without Choice,^they are timorous and unfteady; andif
at any time they happen to be quiet, it is more out of
Fear, than Reafon. It is a wretched Condition to Hand
ifi an* of every Body's Tongue ; and whoibever is vext
atajleproach, would be proud if he were commended.'
W« (honld look i^on Contumelies, Slanders, and ill.
Words, <My as the Clamour of Enemies, or Arrows fhot
at a DiSW}», that make a Clattering upon our Arms,

M •

24« SENECA CLap.vm.

but do no ExecQtion. A Man makes himielf lefs than
bis Adverfary, by ^ncying tbat he is contemned. Things
are only ill, that are ill taken ; and it is not for a A^aa
of Worth to think himfelf better or worfe for the Opi-
nion of others. He that thinks himfelf injured, let him
fay, Either I have itfer^-ei thit^ 9t I ba<ve not* If I
havey ii is a Judgment :lfl ba^ve not^ it is an Injufiice ;
tmd the Doer ef it bos more. Reafou to he ofimmed than the
Sufferer. Nature has afligned every Man his Poft» which
he is bound in Honour to maintain, let him be never fo
much prefled* Diegenet wsa difputing o£ jf/tger, and an
infolent young Fallow, to try if he could put him befide
his Philofophy, fpit in his Face : ToungMutr, iays Die-
genes, this does not make me angry yet ; hut I am in feme
doubt 'whether 1 Jhouldhe fo or no. Some are fo impa-
ticnt, that they cannot bear a Contumely, even from a
Woman ; whofe v^ry Beauty, Greatnefs, and Ornaments
are all of them little enough to vindicate her from many
Indecencies, without much Modefty and Difcretion,
Nay, they will lay it to Heart even from the roeaneftof
Servants. How wretched is that Man whole Peace lies
at the Mercy of the People ? A Phyfician is not angry
at the Intemperance of a mad Patient ; nor does he take
it ill to be railed at by a Man in a Fever : Juft fb fhoold
a wife Man treat all Mankind, as a Phyhcian does his
Patient ; and looking upon them only as fick^ and ex*
travagant'; let their Words and A6lioDs, whether good,
or bad, go equally for nothing ; attending ftill his Duty,
even in the coarieft OfHces tiiat may conduce to their
Recovery. Men that are proud, fioward, and powerful,
he values their Scorn as little as their Quality^ and looks
upon them no otherwife, than as People in the Accefs
of a Fever. If a Beggar ivorjhifis him, or if he takes
no Net.'ce of him, it is ali one to him ; and with a rich
Man he makes it the fame Cafe. Their Honours, and
their Injuries, he accounts much alike; without re*
joicing at the one, or grieving 'at the other.

Is theie Cafes, the Rule is to pardon all * Ofiences»
% p J II where there is any Sign of Repentance^

* . . or Hope of Amendment. It does not
nvbere there ts i ^i> . '^w • » • r> i?^ i. t»

„/,— cv ^r hola m Jniuries, as m Benefits, the Re-
either btp*i of ^ ... c ^y •it » »> •

^ -^ quiting of the one wuh the odier : For it

Chap Vm. 0£ A N G B ft. ^4)

is a Shame to overcome in the one, and »-a-^/]--^- u*
in the other to be overcome. It is the r/^ ^.^ *-j
fart of a great Mind to dcfpifc Tnjuriw ; ^'f^ ^ ^'«^'"
and it is one Kind of Revenge, to ncgled "^^ '
a Man as not worth it : For it makes the firft Aggreflbr
too conlideraUe. Our Philofbphy methinks might carrj^
us up to the Bravery of a generous MaftiiF, that can hear
the fiarking of a thoufiind Curs, without taking an/
Notice of them* He that receives an Injury from hia
Superior, it is not enough for him to bear it with Pati*
ence, and without any Thought of Revenge ; but he muft
receive it with a chearful CottntenancCi and look as if he'
4id not underftand it too ; for if he appear too fenfible,
he ihall be fure to have more of it. // // a damtui /7«-
mowr in great Men^ that 'whom they ivroug they itHll hate.
It was well anfwered of an old Courtier; that was aiked,
how he kept fo long in Favour ? If^hy^ fays he, hy re*
cee*uing Injuriett and crying 2 our humble Ser'oantfir them.
Some Men take ic for an Argument of Greatnefs, to
h^ve Revenge in their Power ; . but (b far is* he that is
under the Dominion of Anger, from being great, that he;
is not fo much as ittt. Not but that Anger is a kind
of Pleafure to feme in ^he A^ of Revenge : But the
very IVcrd is inhuman^ though it may pals for honeft^
Virtue^ in fhort^ it imfenetrable^ and Revenge is only the
Con/effion of an Infirmity,

; It is a fantaflical Humour, that the fame * Jeft in
private, (hould make us merry, . and yet ^ o-l r n '
enrage us In public ; nay, we will not ^. ^'-^^7' ^'":
allow the Liberty that we uke. Some '^'" *''^^" ^
Raileries we account pleafant, others bit- '*""^-^ '" P"^'
icr i A Conceit upon a Squint Eye, a "^^^^^ ^Wy
Huncb^haek, or any perfonal Defedt, paf- ^^ ^"^'''^•
fes for a Reproach. And why may we not as well hear
it, as fee it? Nay, if a Man imitates our Gait, Speech,
or any natural Innperftftion* it pi:ts us out of all Pati-
ence, as if the Counterfeit were more grievous, than
the doing of the Thing* itfelf. Some cannot endure to
hear of their Age, nor others of their Poverty \ and they
make the Thing the more taken notice of, the more they
defire to hide it. Some bitter Jed (for the *purpofe) «va&
broken upon you at the Table i keep better Company

M 2

M4 « « N -E C A Chap.Vin;

tthen. In th« Freedom of Cup a fbber Man will hardlf
"COntafrn himretf within Boimot. It flicks with in ex^
tirmely ft>inetime», that the PoFter will not let as into
his great Mader. WiH any but a Madman quarrel with
:a Cor for barking, when he may pacify him wi^a Cruftf
"What have iwe to do but to keep farther off, and laugh
.nt him ? Fiifus Cormliiu (a tall, ilim Feik>w) fell down*
«r>ght a crying in the Senate-honfe» at CcrMo*8 iayin|,
•tmtt ke htkid iikt an Efirtche. He was a Man that made
ioothing of a Da(h upon his Life* and Manny's ; bat it
^as werfe than Death to htm^ a Reflexion n^pon his Per-
ibfi. No Man was «vcr ridicolous to others, that lavght
^t himfelf firft \ it pre^nu Mifchief, and it is a fpitefol
Difeppotntment of thofe that uke Pleafure in fbch Aba-
its. Vmtimus (a Man that was made op of Scorn, ^and
Hatred, icnrriloas, and impudent to ^ higheft Degree,
1>ttt moil abttfirely witty, and with all this he was diieifed
and deformed to ExtrMlsity) his way uras always to be<
gh) to make Sport wnh himfelf, and fo he prevented the
Mockery of other Peofrfe. There sre none more aboilvv
;to others, than they that lie moft <»pcn to it themfelves;
:hiit the Humour goes round, and he that laugbs( at me
To'dny will have fome Body to laugh at him To<mor<
;row, and revenge my Quarrel, tet however there
jire foffle Liberties that yfm toivtr go down wiih ibme
!Men.

A3UTICUS FALERIVS {ptitoi CakguUs
particular Friends, and a Man of Stomacii, that would
^ ^ ^ ^ not eaiily * digeft an Afiront) CaJifuk

n "^jL *oW fci« in pttblic what kind of Bed.fellow

«erpecia]]y to a Man of Confular Authority, a Friend, and
4 HuAand ; and in fuch a Manner too, as at once to
own his D>fguft« and his Adultery. The* Tribune
ChiKreas had a weak broken Voice, Kfee an thrmffbtodite^
when he came to C^Hguim for the Wor*lt he wodd give
Ihim fometimes Fetms^ other whiles friMpus ; aft a Slur
upon him bothways* Vttiaiui was afterwards ^t prin*
cipal Inftrument in the Confpjmcy againft himi and
Ch^naSi to conrimre him of his Manhood, at one Blow
ckfc^imdpwn die. Chine with hil 5wotd. NoMak

CEap. ES. Of A Pr G E R» af5

-was ib forward as Caligula to break a JefF> and no Man^
jaore unwilling to bear it.

i««M««<MiwaB4MMa^-

CHAP. IX.

pdutiam againft Anger in the Matter of Educatien^-
CoHverfe^ and other general Means of pnventing,
it, bow in ourf elves and others^

AhL that we have to faf in partkular opon this
Subjed lies under theie two Heads-; Fir(l> that we
do i)Ot fall into Anger; and fecondly, that we do not
iranjgre/s in it. As in the Cafe of our Bodies, we have
ibme Medicines to preserve us when' we are well, and
others to recover us when we are lick ; fo ie^is one Thing
su>t to adroit it, and another Thing to overcome it. We
are, in the fM Place, to avoid all Pvovocationsj and the
£egiiiniiic^t of Anger : For if we be once down, it is a ^
hud Talk to get up Qgahi : When our Paffion h?s got
the better «f i»ur itearo», aod the £nemy is received ihto ^
the Gate, we canoot eie^^l that the Conqueroif (hould
take Conditions from the Prtfonei^. An«^ In trath,-'our
Reaibn, when it is thus mdftered, turm effeflually into
l^affion. A careful Education is a great Matter, f6r bur
. Minds are ea^iy formed in our Yooth, but it is a harder
Bofinefs-tooufe ill Habits : Betide that, we are fnfiamed
hy Climate, Conftitution, Company, an^ a Thoafand
other Accidenid that i^e are net siware of.

Thb Choice of a gl>od Nnrle, and a well-natttred
Tutor, goes a great way ; for the Sweetncfs both of the
Blood, and of the Manners, will pafs into the Child.
There is nothing breeds Anger more than a foft and
eflSnninate Education i and it is very feklom feen, that
eith^ the Mother's or the School- mailer'^ Darling ever
comes to good. Bat, mjfyounft Mafler, when he comes
into the World, i>ehaves himfdf like a choleric Cox-
comb ; for Flattery, and a great Fortune nouriih Touchi^
Defs. But k Is a nice Point^ fo to check the Seeds of
Anger in a Child, fo as «et. to take off" his ^dge and
quench his Spirits, whereof a principal Care mult 1^

M 3

146 & E N £ C A Cbap. IX.

taken, betwixt Licence and Severity, that he be neither
too much emboldened, nor deprciled. CommendatioA
gives him Courage and Confidence ; but then the Dan-
ger i«, of blowing him into Infblence, and Wrath: So
that when to u(e the Bit, and when the Spur, is the
main Difficulty. Never put him to a Neceflity of beg-
ging any Thing bafely 5 or, if he does, let him go
•without it. Enure him to a Familiarity, where he hat
any Emnlation; And in all his Exerciies let him under-
ftand» that it is generous to overcome his Competitor,
but not to hurt him. Allow him to be pleafed when he
does well, but not trahfported ; for that will pufi^ him
up into too high a Conceit of himfelf. Give hina no-
thing that he cries for, until the doged Fit is over, bat
then let him have it when he is quiet ; to ihew him that
there is nothing to be gotten by being peeyiih. Chide
him for whatever he does amifs, and make him betimes
acquainted wth ;he Fortune dut he was born to. I^t
his Diet be cleanly, but (paring 1 and cloathe him like
the reft of his Fellows : For by. placing him upon that
Equality at firft, he will be the lefs proud afterwards :
And confequently thekis wafpifliaoa qoarrelfi>me.

In the next place, let as have a care of Temptations
that we oannot refi^» and Provocationa that we cannot
bear ; and efpectally of ioar and exceptkuii Conspany :
For a crols Humour is contagious : Nor is it all, 1 that a
Man ihall be the better for the Example of a quiet Coq«
verfation ; but an angry Difpoiition is troublefbme, be*
caufe it hi^s nothing elle to work upon. We ihould
therefore chufe a fincere» eafy» and temperate Compa-
moiit that will neitl^er provoke Anger, nor return it;
nor give a Man any Qccafion.of exercifing his Diftem-
pers. Nor is it enough to be gentle, fubmifs, and hu*
mane, without Integrity and plain Dealing : For Flat-
tery is as oflenfive on the other Side. Some Men would
uke a Curfe from you better than a Compliment. Ct^UuSf
^ paffionate Orator had a Friend, of lingular Patience,
that Tupped with him; who had no way to avoid a
Qnarre], but by iaying Amen to ail that Qekus fiud^ Ce-,
ifujf taking this ill ; Say/Qmtthing agminfi me^ fays^ he,
^bai y9u and J may bt t^Q $ and he wa9 angry with him

Chap. IX. Of A N G E R. 247

bccauie he would not; bat the Difpute fell> as it needs
ID a ft, for n ant of an Opponent.

Eii^ that is naturally addided to Anger, let him ufe a
moderate Diet, and abftain from Wine, for it is but ad«
dftng Fire to Fire, Gentle Exercifes, Recreations, and
Sports, temper and fweeten the Mind. Let him have a
Car« alfo of long and obftioate Difputes, for it is eafier
not to begin them, than to pat-an End to them. Severe
lltudies are not good fpr him neither: as La^w, Mathe^
mattes ; too much Intenii9n preys upon the Spirits, and
makes him eager, Bnt Poe^ry^, Hiftoty^ and thoie lighter
Eater tatnmeins may ferve him for.Diverfionand Relief*
He that wonld be quiet, mufl not Venture at Things
oot of his Reach, or beyond his Stfiength ; for he (hall,
cither ftagger under the Burden, or difcharge it upon the
oext Man he meets ; which is the fame Cafe in cii^il and
domeftic Afiairs. Buiinefs that is ready and pradical

fses off with Bafe; but when it is too heavy for the
earer, they fall both together. Whatfoever we deftgn,
we fhould firft take a Meafure of oarfelves, and compare
<rar For€e with theUhdenaking*; for it vexes a Man not"
logotbropgfh with his Work: .A Repolie inflames a

feneroas Nature, aait'makes one that is fhU^matu, /aJ»
have known Ibme that have, adviied looking into a
Glafs when a Maa is in the Fir» and the very Spectacle
of his own Deformity has cured him.. Many that are
troablefofflt in their Drink, and know their own fnfir*
mity» eive their Servants order before* hand, to take them
away by Force for fear of Mifchief, and not to obey-
their Mailers themfelves when they are hot-headed. Jf
the Thing were duly confidered, we fhould need no othtr
Cure than the bare Confideration of it. We are not
angry at Madmen, Children, and Fools, becaufe they do
not know what they do : and why (hould not Impru-
dence have an equal Privilege in other Cafes ! If a Horfe
kick, or a Dog bite, (hall a Man kick or bite ao;ain ? The
one, it is true, is wholly void of Reafbn, but it is alio an
equivalent Darknefs of Mind, .that poflefles* the other;
So long as we are among Men, let us cherifh Humanity ;
and (b live, that no Man may be either in Fear, or in
Danger of us. Loiies, Injuries, Reproaches, Calumnies,
they are but fhort Inconveniencies^ and we (houkl bear

M 4

248- SENECA CliapaX.

tbcm with Reiblation. Befide that, fome Peojde ar&
above our Anger, others below it. To contend with
our Superiors were a Folly, and with our Inferiors an
Indignity.

THBaa is hardly a more dfe£laal Remedy againft
•' PatiencB ^/C ^^S**" ^^^^ * Patience, and Confideratioai
##«« i¥^^*u ^^ ^**^ ^^ ^^ Fervour abate, and that
urn nrrat^. ^^ ^^^^ i^^xktM the Mind, Will be

either leilened or difpelled ; a Day, nay, an Hour does
much in the moft violent Cafes, and perchance totally
ikpprefles it: Time difcovers the truth of Things, and
turns Uiat into Judgment whkh at fitft was Anger. Tlato
Mxas about to ftrike nis Servant, and while his If and was
in the Air, he checked hiaifel^ but dill held it in that
meaacing Pofture. A Friend of his took notice of it,
aadaiked him what he meanC: lammaw^ {tysPi^t,
fitmjbing of an angry Man: So that he had left his Ser-
vant to cmUliie Inmfelf. Anodief time, his Servant
having committed a great Fault: Sftufipfus^ {vi% he, IH
j9n htat that Fetiow, f^r I mm angry : So that he iorbofe
firiking him for the wtry Reafoa that would have AJide
another Man have done it. / Mm at^gry, lays im, wut
Jhatl gofartbtr thtm htconuf nm* Nor is it £t that a &Rr»
vant ihould be in his Power that is not his own Kfafter.
Why Aionld any one venture now to t^uft an angty Man
with a Revenge, when Fiai9 durft not traft bimfelf ?
Either he muft govern that, or that will undo htm* Lee
OS do our bed to overcome it; fant let nsltowever keep
Itdolb without giving it any Vent. An angry Man* if
Ke gives hhnielf Liberty at all dncs, will go too fu.
If it comes once to fhew itfell In the Eye, or Counte'-
sance, it has got the better of ns. Nay> we ihouki fo
oppoie it, as to 49ut on the very co&traty Difpo^tions :
Calm Looks, foft and ilow Speech ; an eafy and a deli-
berate March, and by little and little we^ may pafiUy
bring our Thoughts into a fober Conformity widi our
A Aions. When Sm^oUj was angry , he Would take him-
felf in it» znd^enk /p<u;, in QppoikTan to the Motions
pf Jiis Difpleaiore^ His Friends would Qike notice of
it; and it was not to his Diiadvantage neither^ but
rather to his Credit, that fa many ihould Jtnow that he
was angry* and no body fai it ; which conld never

Clup.IX. Of A N 6 S It. nB49

have been, if ht had :not given his Friends the fame
Liberty of Admonition which' he himfelf took. And
this Courie ihould we take: we fhoukl defire our Friends
not to flatter as in our Follies, but to treat us with all
Xiiberties of Reprehenfion, even when- we are leaft wiii-
ing to hear it, again ft ib powerful, and fo infinuating aa
Evil ; we ihould call for Help, while we have our Eyes
"in our Head, and are yet Mailers of ourfelves. Mode-
ration is profitable for Subjects, but more for Princes ;
who have the Means of executing all that their Aogcfr
prompts them to. When that Power comes once to be
texercifed to a common Mifchief, it can never long con*
tinue, a commoo Fear joining in oo^ Cauie all their
divided Complaints. In a Word now, how we ma/
prevent, moderate, or mafter this impotent Paffion ia
others.

' . It is not enough to be found ourfelves, nnlefs * we
endeavour to make others {o^ wherein ^ SMJiniL
we muft accommodate. the Remedy to ^ jT ^^
the Temper of the Patient. Some are ^ •*'»'^»*^
CO be dealt 4with by Artifice^ and Ad. '^''•^'''•
drcis ; as for Example, Why *wili yon griati/y your Ene*
mieSf to Jhtnn ytwrfitf fo mtuh cenMrueilf It is not ^orth
your Anger ; it is bth-m you ; J am as much troMed ei
if m^^'fiif', as y9u eon hi ; hut you had better fay ncfhiftg,
etndtakeycur time to he enten n/uiih them. Anger in-(bme
people is to be openly opposed ; in others there muft be
a litde yielding, according to the Difpofition of the
Perfibn. Some are won by iatreaties, others are gained
by mere Shame and Cpnvi^on ; and A>me by Oeley i
a duir way of' cure for a violent Diftem per : But this
muft be the laft Experiment. Other Affedtioas may be
better dealt with at Leifure : For they proceed gradual-
ly ; but this commences, and perfe^s itfelf in the fame
Moment. Tt does hot, like other Paflions, fblicir, and
mif-lead us, but runs away with us by Force ; and hurries
us on with irrefiHible Temerity, as well -to our own, as
to another's Ruin : Not only flying in the Face of hini
that provokes us, but like a Torrent, bearing down all
before it There is no encountering the flrit Heat and.
Fury of it; for .k is deaf-^nd mad. The beft way is
(io the B9giRAi^g)'ti> ^tve it Time and Reft» and let it^

M 5

2SO SENECA Cfaap.X.

fpend itfelf : while the Paffion is too hot to handle, we
.may deceive it : but however, let all Inftruments of
Revenge be pat out of the way. It is not amifs fome-
tiRiea to pretend to be angry too ; and join with him,
not only in the Opinion of the Injory, but in the feem-
ing Contrivance of a Revenge. But this muft be a
Perfon then that has fome Authority over him. This k
a way to^get Time, and by adviiing upon (bme greater
Punimment, to delay the preient : If the Paifion beout-
ragious, try what Shame or Fear can do. If weak.
It 18 no hard Matter to amnfe it by Grange Stories,
grateful News, or pleafant Difconrfes. Deceit in thi^
Cafe, is Friendfliip ; for Men muft be cozened to be
cured.

. Thb Injuries that prefi hardeft upon ns. are thoft
JL TU r 1 ' ' which t cither we have not deferved,
t ibeje ^V^l^* or not cxpeded, or at leaft not in fo
g, neareft us, that ^^^ ^ ^ ^^j^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^

^ W nnther ^^^^ ^^ Surfclves: For every Man

' Cafe, toprafti/c all Liberties, and to

allow none* Which proceeds either from Ignorance or
Infolence. What News is it for People to do ill Things ?
For an Enemy to hurt ; nay, for a Friend, or a Servant
|o tranigrefs, and to prove treacherous, ungrateful, co-
vetous, impious ? What we find in one Man, we may
in another, and there is no more Security in Fortune,
than in Men. Our Joys are mingled with Fear, and a
Tempeil may arife out of a Calm ; but a ikilful Pilot is ^
always provided for it. .

CHAP. X.

k

Againjl ,rajh ^udgmtnt.

IT is good for every Man to fortify himfelf on bis
weak Side : and if he loves his Peace, he muft not
be inquifitive, and hearken to Tale-bearers; for the Man
t]xat is over curioua to hear and fee ev^ry Thing, multi-

Chap. X. Of ANGER. 251

plies Troubles to himfelf ; ^or a Man does not feci, what
lie does not know. He that is 1 iften in g after private
Difcourfe, and what People (ay of him, (hall never be at
Peace. How many 1 hings that are innocent in them-
felves, sre made injurious yet, by Mifconftru6lion ?
Wherefore fome Thing we are* to paufe up6n> others to
laugh at, and others again to pardon. Or if we cannot
avotd the Senfe of Indignities, let as however (hun the
open Profeffion of it ; which may eafily be doiie, as ap-
pears by many Examples of thofe that have fapprefled
their Anger, under tne Awe of a greater Fear. It is a
good Caution not to believe any Thing until we are very
certain of it ; for many probable Things prove falfe, and
a ihort time will make Evidence of the undoubted Truth.
We are prone to believe many Things which we are un-
willing to hear; and fo we conclude, and take up a
Prejudiee-before we can judge. Never condemn a Friend
unheard ; or without letting him know his Accufer, or
his Crime. It is a common Thing to fay. Do ntt you
teli that you had it from me; for if you do^ I *wiU deny //,
land never tell you etny Thing again. By which meaas.
Friends are (et together by the Ears, and the Informer
flips his Neck Out of the Collar. Admit no Stories upon
thefe Terms; for it is an unjuft Thing to believe in
private, and to be angry openly. He that delivers him-
lelf up to gueis anti conjedture, runs a great Hazard^
for there can be no Suspicion without foroe probable
Grounds ; fo that without much Candour, and Simplici-
ty, and making the beft of every Thing, there is no
living in Society with Mankind. Some Things that
offend us we have by Report; others we fee, or hear.
In the firft Cafe^ let us not be too credulous : Some
People frame Stories that they may- deceive us ; others
only tell what they hear, and are deceived themfelves.
Some make it their Sport to do ill Offices; others do
them, only to pick a Thank : There are fome that would
part the aeareft FHends in the World ; others love to do
Mifchief, and dand aloof off, to fee what comes on ft.
if it be a fmall Matter, I <wOuld have WitnelTes ; but
if it be a greater, I would have it upon Oath, and allo^
ttme to the Accufed, and Council too, aad hear it over
and over again.

' '".M -6 - • •

ijt' S fe N fe C A Chap.X.

In thofe Cafea where we ourfelves arr Wltnefier, we
k ]t# I sL la &ould * take iftto Consideration all the

MaXi il^bejt circumftances t If a CbiU, it was hns.
iff ivery Ihtng. ^^^^ , ^^ ^ Woman^TiMiftalu : If done
by Command^ a He^ffity : If a Man be injured, it is bat
Sluidpr9 fuo» If a JiJ^e, he ibtowj what he does : If a
prince 1 1 mui /ubmt% either, if ^»/V(y, to Juftke^ or if
innoant^ to Fortune: If a ^f«/^, I make myfelf one by
imitating it *. If a Calamity^ or Diftafe^ my beft Relief
is Pati^net : If Providence, it is both impious and v^'«
to be an^ry at it : If a go^d Man, I will make the Bifi ol[
it : If a btuif I will never iwonder at it. Nor is it only
by 7aU$^ aDd StoriiSy that we are inflamed, but Su/pid"
0nsf Cauntendnces : Nay, a Lp^^ or a Smile is enough to
how US up. In thefe Cafes let us fufpend our I)iiplea*
/ure, and plead the Caufe of the Abfent. Perhaps be is
innocent \ W if not^ I have time ta cwjider of iff and maf
take my Re%enge at Leifurt : but when it is once executed^
it is not to be retailed, A jealous Head 13 apt to take
that to himielf which was never meant him. JLet us
therefore truft to nothing but what we fee ; and chide
eurfelves where We are over-credulous. Bj this Courie
we (hall not be fo eafily impofed upon ; nor put to
Trouble ooriblvea about Things not worth the while ; as
the Loitering of a Servant upon an Errand, the tumbling
of a Bed ; or the fpoiling of a Glais of Drink. It is a
Madnefs to be difbrdered at thefe Fooleries; we coniider
the Thing done, and not the Doer of it. // may be he
did it ttnwUifiglyt er by Chance, It nxjas a Trick put upon
bisftf er he 'was forced /» //. He did it for Re^ward per*
hapSy not Hatred \ nor of his o^wn Accord, but he nvns
agged on to />. Nay, fodke Regard mull be had' to the
Age of the PerAm, or t6 Fortune ; and we muft confolt
Humanity, and Candour in tlie Caie. One does me a
great Mrflbief at una*ivares ; another does me a very
J^aii one by Defgni or peradveoture nOne at all, but
intended me one. Thelafifierwas more^in Fault, but I
will be angry with neither. .We muA diftinguiih betwixt
what a Man cannot 60^ aild what he 14.-/7/ not. // is trutt
he has onee ojfhidedme ; hut he^w often has be pteafed me f
He has offended me often, and in other Kinds^ and *aihy
Jbould J not bear it as will itdlu^ai I have done T U he my

Chap.X. O/ A 1^ 6 fi R* 253

Friend ? Why then // was afainfi his Will. Is he my
Enemy?. // // «• moniban I looktd for^ Let us give
way to wl(e Men, and not fqoabble with Pools : and
fay this to ourielves, lV$bav$ aU of us oar Errors i no
Man is h drcumfpef^^ io confiderate, or fo fearful of
offending, but he has much to anfwer for. A generous
Prifoner casnot immediately comply with the fordid and
iaborioqs Offices of a Slave. A Footman that is not
breathed, cannot keep Pace with his Maker's Horfe.
He that is over-watched may be allowed to be drowfy*
All thefe Things are to be weighed, before we give any
Ear to the firft Impnlfe. If it be my Duty to love my
Country, I muft be kind alfo to all my Countrymen :
If a Veneration be due to the whole, fi> is a Piety alfp
to the Parts : And it is the common Intereft to preferve
them. We are all Members of one Body, and it is as
natural to help one another, as for the Hands to help the
Feet» or the Eyes the Hands. Without the Love, and
Care of the Parts^ the whole can never be preferved ;
and we mufl ipare one another, becaufe we are born for
Society, which cannot be maintained without a Regard
to Particulars. Let this be a Rule to us never to deny a
Pardon that does no Hurt either to the Giver o'r Receiver;
^hat may be well enough in one^ Which is ill in another 1
and therefore we are not to condemn any Thing that is
common to a Nation : for Cuftom defends it. But much
more pardonable are thofe Things which are common to
Mankind.

It is a kind of fpiteful Comfort, that * whoever docs
me an Injury, may receive one , and that . ^^^^^ ^^
there is a power over him that is above ^^ r •
roe. A Man (hould ftand as firm againll yy^^. "l^^^l 2^
all Indignities, as a Rock does againft ' ' ^ -^
the Waves. And it is fome Satisfadion
to a Man in a xhean Condition, that there is no Security
in a more proijperous ; and as rhe Lofs of a Son in a
Corner is borne with more Patience^ upon the Sight oi
a Funeral carried out of a Palace ; fo ere Injuries, an 1
Contempts, the more tolerable ifrom a meaner Perfon i
when we condder, that the gieateil ^en and Fortunes
ore not exempt. The wiifeft alfo of Mortals have their.
Pailingsy and no Man living is witliout the iame Excufe.

254 SENECA Chap. XL

The Diffi^rence is, that we do not all of as tranigrefs
the fame way : but we are obliged in Humanity to bear
with one another. We fhoutd every one of us, bethink
otirfeWes hoW remifs we have been in our-Doties ; how
imniodeft in oar* Difcoarfes ; how intemperate in oar
Caps : and why not as well how extravagant we have
been in our Pai&ons. Letus clear onrftlres of this Evil,
purge our Minds» and utterly root out all thoTe Vices,
which, upon leaving the leafl Sting, will grow again,
and recover. We muft think of every Thing, expedl
every Thing,' that we may not. be fufrprissed. It is a
Shame, fays Fabius, for a Commander to exco(e himfelf
by faying, / nvoj nvt anvare nf it*

i> I III »^»^^»»i ■■ ^^^m—^^m^^^mm^^m^tm^m^l^t»mm^m^^^-^,^mm » ■

C H A P. XI.

Ttaie nothing ill from another Man^ until you havi
'" made tt your own Ccrfe.

I

T is not prudent to deny' a Pardon to any Man with-

,^ out firft examining, if we do not Hand in need of it

6ur(elves ; for it may be our Lot to aik it, even at his

Feet, to whom we refufc it. But we are willing enough

to do^ what we are very unwilling to yi^^r. It is un-'

reafonable to charge public Vices upon particular Per-

fons : For we are all of us wicked, and that which we

blame in others, we find in ourfelves, Jt is not a Pale-

tiefs in one, or a Leannefs in another ; but a Peftilcnce

ihi^t ha& laid hold upon all. It is a wicked World, and

we make part of it ; and the W ay to be quiet, is to bear

one with another, ^uch a Man, we cry, has done we a

J^retvd Tur^f and I ne'ver did him any Hurt, Well, but

it may be, I have mifchieved other People, or at leaft I

may live to do as much to him, as that comes to. Such

h one hasjpoken ill Things of me ; but if I firft (peak ill of

him, as 1 do of many otl^ers, this is not an Injury, but

a Repayment. What if he did over Ihoot himfelf ? He

was loth to lofe his Conceit perhaps, but there was no

Malice in it ; and if he had not done me a Mifchief, hd

muft have done himfelf one. flow many good Offices

'

fkap.XI. or A N G E It ^5$

are there that look like Injuries ? Nay» how many have
bMn reconciled, and good Friends, after a profeifed
Hatred? • ^

Befoks we lay any Thing to Heart, let us aik our«
(elves if we have- not done the * fame « r . «^
thing to others. But where fiiall wc find ^j' "' ^'''^
an equal Judge? He that loves another ^f^^'*''.^*^-
Man's Wife (only perhaps becaufe fhc is ^^''•*y'f,^<>^f
another's) will not fuffcr his own to be fo '"''*'% '/ ^''
much as'looked upon. No Man fo fierce "^^ ^''-'^•
againft Calumny, as an Evil-fpeaker ; none fo ilridl
Exa^ers of Modefty in a Servant, as thofe that are moft
prodigal of their own. We carry our Neighbour's Crime
in Sight, and we throw our own over our Shoulders.
The Intemperance of a bad Son is chaftifed by a worfe
Father; and the Luxury that we punilh in others, we
allow to ourfelves. The Tyrant exclaims againft Ho«
micide ; and Sacrilegious againft Theft. We are angry
with the Perfons, but not with the Faults.
• Some Things there are that cannot hurt us, and*
others will not : as good Magtftrates, Pa- , ^ -.,. ,
rents. Tutors, Judges; whofe Reproof ^^/^^^
or Correftion we are to take, as we do ^'^«;^'/«'-' «f*
Abftinence, Bleeding, and otlier uneafy '^j^^^^'^'^^^^
Things, which we are the better for. In *'*
which Cafes, we are not fo much to reckon apon what
we fufFer, as upon' what we have done. / take it i//,
fays one ; atid I ha<ve done nothhtg^ fays another : when
at the fame time we make it worfe, by adding Arro-
gance, and Contumacy to our firft Error. We cry out
prefently. What Law banjt ive trarfgreffed? As if the
Letter of the Law were the Sum of our Duty, and that
Piety, Humanity, Liberty, Juftice and Faith, were Things
befide our Buiinefs. No, no, the Rule of human. Duty
is of a greater Latitude ; and we have many Obligations
upon us, that are not to be found in the Statute'Books*
An^ yet we fall (hort of the Exadnefs, even of that iegtd
Jnmancy. We have, intended one Thing, and done a*
nother ; wherein only the want of Succefs has kept us
from being Criminals. This very Thing, methmks,
ihottld make us more favourable to Delinquents, and to

^{6 S £ N E C A Chup.XIL

forgive not only ouifelves, but tlie Gods too ; of whom
we feem to have harder Thoughts, in 'taking that to be
a particular Evil diredled to tts» that befals us only by the
connnon Law of Mortal ify. In fine, no Man living can
abfolve himfelf to his Confdence, though to the World
perhaps he may. It is true, that we are alfo condemned
to Pains and Difeafes, and to Death too, which is no
more than the quitting of the SouFs Houfe. But, why
ih<3ttld any Man complain of Bondage, that whereibever
he looks has his Way c^n to Liberty ? That Ffecipice,
that Sea, that River, that Well, there is Freedom in the

• jt ff ' I ^^^^^ ^^ ^^* *^^ hangs upon every
A JtQtcal ^y.^[^^ Bough ; and not only a Man's
Error. Throat, or his Heart, but every Vein in his

Body qpens a Paflage to it.

To oondude. Where my proper Virtue ftils me, I
will have recourfe to Examples, and (ay to myielf. Am
] greater than FkiUp or Juguftus, who both of them put
up greater Reproaches } Many &ave pardoned their Ene*
^ies, and ihall not I forgive a Negled, a little Freedom
of the Tongue ? Nay the Patience bat of a iecond
Thought does the BufineCs ; for, though the firft Shock
be violent, take it in Parts, and it is fubdued. And, to
wind up all in one Word ; the great Leflbn of Mankind,
as well in this, as in all other Cafes, is, to do as <m#
noouU he done by.

CHAP. XII.
Of CRVELTr.

ft

THERE is fo near an Affinity betwixt Amgir^ and
Cruelty^ that many People confound them : as if
CrutUy were only the Exefmthn of Anger in the Pay«
ment of a Revenge; which holds in fome Caies, but not
tn others. Thene are a Sort of Men that take Delight
til die fpilling of Human Blood ; and in the Death of
thofe tlttit nevet did tbem any Injttry, nor were everfo
Itouch^s fa^eifted ibr it{ as Apollodorms^ FhtJaris^Simt^
trocrupui^ aud Others, that burnt Men alive ; whom i^e

Chap. XII. Of A N 6 E R. 957

caniiot Co properly call wi^y^ as imtal. For Angtr doe»
Bece&ily pre-Aippo(e an It^Mry, either dtn^ or cotuu'^id^
Oi/earfdi but the other taiLts Pkafi^rg xa torminiing^
without fo aiiich as pretending any ProwoHhn to. it»
9^HUf mttely for kiUing.Sake. The (>%»»>/ of lhi»
Cntiliy perhaps.was Angtr^ which by frequent Ex$rtif(t
and Ci^«m, has loft all- Senfe of Humanity and Af/r^i:
and they that are thus a£efied» are fo; far from the Coun*
tenance and Appearance of Men in Angtr^ that they^
will lau^b* njtice BXkdL enitrtain tbepifihis with the moft
korriJ ^pt^aeUti as Ra^kf^ GomIs^ GMets^ Several Sorts
of Cbmm and Fumpmnis y Diiacgraiion of M§miers^
SitgmaiiaufgSt and .MW Beajf^, with other exqutfita
Inventiohsof TortHM:> , And yet. at Jail thr Cruelt/'
itfeif is inora horrid,, and odiouar than the Meana by
which it works. It is a l^^fiiai Madmefs to h^/t MiC>
chief; befida, that it< b ^mmmnijb to rag$ and /##r ; a
geneiooa Beaft will .ibom to do it» when he kai anye
Thing at'hts Mercy. It is a Vice for W»lv€i^ and ^«
f #rf $ and np lofs tihrnhmik totbe W§9U, than dumitnuB
tO'iiiUf* ^ ^

T*HS lRMi4nr had their Mmm^g^ and.their. ^MmiditM
SfiOmUs. la the/rawr^^iWluKl tbeir > >;. A.^,1,-,
Coaibatiofii/aewitb^iRBiUJU^#» a<id At ^^.i
in the ittf/#r, the Men fought mt w/Vi^ %/^^ f ^ "*
tfvsri^r. / WW/ (fays oor Author) ^iv v/^^^^w.
a^r l>itf /i /ii# Meridiaii Spedlader, in bop$ of mutiiif
/•mmwhat •/ MintJ^ 4Uui Divnfimp $• fwuiem fhi Hu^
p.Mr if tkifi chMt had ^aa imtiHmimd with Blood in ibi
M<»iunf : Bm^ it frvood ^tbwnmfa $ for €mifm$i miib^
tUi InhnmaMi/jt iho formm tvm m Mrny. n$:%uhU
Bufvttfs Hvas oniy MMtdtr ufom MMor ; ti0 Cotmkaaaii
fought nakedf and i*v€ly Bhw twos m Wonmd^ 7bep did
mot eontomd fir Vfdorv, htd fir Deadi ; and ho that kUh
one Mmn^ u to bo kwodhy anothor. By Wotmdi tboy ata
forcod npon Wounds^ nabicb thoy tmhof and ghfOf upom
4ho baro Broafh. Bwn that ftogue, they cry I What \
It he alvaid of hia FJdh > Do but fte how inaakingly
chat Rafeat diet, hook 4o yourfekw^ my Ait^irs, ami
confidtr of it : Who hnontfo b^ tkio nti^ eomm to ba
soar avin Cafif Wicked Sxamptee iMom hA pT

*^t SENEGA Qiap %\T^

coming home at laft to- the Authors, To deftroy^
a Jiftg^e Man, may be daRgeroas } but to murder
whole Nations* is only a more glorious Wickednefs^
Private Avarice aodRi'^oar are condemned: But Op«
preffion, when it cornea to be authorized by an Ad of
State, and to be publicly commanded, though partico*
larjy forbidden, becomes a Point of Dignity and Ho*
nour. What a Shame is It for Mcn^to entecworry one
another, vlhen yet the fierceft even of Bcafts are ac Feace
with thofe of their own Kind ? This brutal Fury puts
Phiiofophy itfelftoa Sund« The Drunicard, the GluN
ton, the Covetous, may be reduced; nay, and theMifchief
of it is, that no Vice keeps itfelf within its proper Bounds.
Luxury mns into Avarice, and when the Reverence of
Virtue is extinguiibed. Men will ftick at nothing that
carries Profit along with it Man's Blood is ihed in Wan*
tonncfs s hit Death is a Spe£(aclef for EnteitsinnKnt^ and
his Groans- are Muilc. When AUxandtr delivered up
Lyfimuhus to a Lion, how glad would he have been to
have Nails and Teeth to have devoured him himfelf f U
would have too much derogated, he thought, from the
XM^nity of Wndh, to have appointed a Man for the Exe^
cntioii of bis /nW. Private Craeltiesi it is true* cannot
49 much Miichief^ but in Friacet they are & War agaioft
Mankind* ' . . v

C.CJSSJk would commonly, lor Exnci/e and PUa»

Sariarouj Cru' '^'"^^* P"' Stnafrs and R9man Knights la
-f^' * .the Tfiuri ; 9xA^nKhip (everal of them»

\^** . ' JiketS/tfw/, or put them to i)Mfi& with

the moft exqniiiteTorments^ - merely for the ^tis&^on of
his Cruelty. That C«^;ihat wj/Sbtd the Pe^pk of Rome
kmi Init pne Mr>f, thai h$ might eui it off at om Blow, It
w«s the Employment, the S^tiidy.and the Joy of his. Life.
He would not Yo much as give the Expiring leave to
groan, butcaufed their Mouths to be ftopt with Spunges,
or for want df them with Rags of their own Cloaths^ that
they might not fo much as breathe . out their lail
Agonies at Liberty : Or, perhaps, left .the Tormented
ihould fpeak fomeihing which th^> Tormentor had no
Miod to hear. Nay» m was ib impatient of Delay, that
he woeld frequently rUe frpn^ Supper to; have Men killed
by torch Lights as if his Life and Death had depended

Chap. Xn. Of A. N G E R. 259

upon their Difpatch before the next Morning:. To hy
nothing ho^v many Fathers were put to death by him in
the lame Night with their Sons, (which was a kind of
Mei*cy in the Prevention of their Mourning.) And was
not Syli^B Crudty prodigious too, which was only ftopt
for want of Enemies ? He caused 7000 Citiniem of Rome
to be flaughtered at once; and fbme of the Senators be*
ing ftartied at the r Cries that were heard in the Senate^
bou/e: Let us minJ our B^JtHe/s^ iays »Sy///, 7 his it
M§thiHg but a ftn»^ Mutt men that 1 have O' dered tc bt
/ent out of the ixay^ A ghrimt Spe£iaclt! fays Hanu^
bal^ when he faw the Trenches flov\ing with human
Blood ; and if the Rivers had run Blood too, he would
have liked it fo rouch-the better.

Among the famous and deteftable Speeches that
are committed to Memory, I know none worfe than that
impuJint and tyroHpical Maxim, * L** , [j, ,1,^ ,^,,^
tbem bate «/, fe they fear me : not . ,, /. ,f

confidering that thofc that arc kept in ''"" *'^>'"'' ""^'^
Obedience by Fear,: are both maiidoas and mercenary^
and only watt ibr an Opportunity to change their Mafter«
Befide that, whoibever is terrible to omtn^ it Hkewifo
afraid of himfelf. What, is more ordinary, than for a
Tyrant to be delfaro^ed by his own Guards ? Which is no
more than the patting thofe Crimes into Pra£kice which
they learned of their Mafters : How many Slaves have
revenged themfelvcs of their cruel Oppreilbrs, though
they were fure to die for it f bot when it comes once to
a fopuiar Tyramty^ whole Nations confpireagainft.it. For
wohe/oiver threettim aii, is in Dagger of ail ; over and
above that the Cruelty of a Prince increafes the Number
of his Enemies, by deftroying ibme of them ; for it en-
tails an hereditary Hatred upon the Friends and Relati*
ons oi thoie that are taken iaway. And then k hat this
Misfortune^ that a Man muft be wicked upon Neceflity i
for there is no going back : fi> that he muft betake him*
felf to Arms, and yet he lives in Fears. He can neither
trurt to the Faith of his Friends, nor to the Piety of his
Children ; he both dreads Deaths and wifhes it ; and
becotnes a greater Terror to himfelf than he is to his Peo-
ple. Nay if there were nothing elfe to make Cruelty de<*
teitablci it were enough, that it pafles all Bounds both of

a6» SENECA Chap-XB,

Cflfiom, and HnmaDity ; aad is followed apon the HceL
with Sword and Poifon, A priyate Malice indeed does not
Biove whole Cities : fiat that which extends to al), is every
Body's Mafic. One fick Ftr^ pvc% no great Difiorbancc
in a Family; but when itoomes to a depopvkcing Plague*.
•U People fly from iL And why fhoald a Prince exped
any Man to be good* whom he hay taoght to be wicked ^
But what ifit were Ja/g to be cruel P Were it not

*//WStaieof War *'**'* ** I«age of a taifn Ciiy^ where^
^ ' there is nothing but B&rr^w, fronhk

$nd Coffkfion. M^n dare not fo much as tmft diem&lve^
with their Friendst or with their Plca^res. There is not
any EntertanaBent ib innocent, bbt it affords Pretence of
Crime and Danger. People are betrayod at their TMs^
and in their Cupf, and drawn from the uttyTbtmin tQ-
the Prijin, How hatrid aMadnefi is it to be fill) rapi^f.
ttx^ kilthg ; to have the rattling of CkMns always in
p«r Eerti birndf h^^^^ be&e oer £ ^/f and uy
carry TVfwr and Difm^^ wherever we 90 1 If we bad
Limt and. Smfmih ao mle «wir im tiua wonld he tht
Maaner of timr GmvH^mtwi ; ftving that ihnf agiee
better aaiDiig thevicJyes. ItpaifesioraldarkofGfeat-
ade* to bam Citiat. aad hy whole Kingdoms wafte; nor
is it for thn Hononrof a Prinoe, to appoiat this or that
ii^ Man fobe killed, nnlefi they have wImOc Tr99p$ or
(iboietimes) Unctu to work opon. fint, it is notthe Spoils
tiWar^ and &M^?>v|^i&uy» that make a Prince jdSi^^
but the dhiine Fcmiir bf praferasng Umbjf^. ami P40t^
Mmw, without Diftin&imi^ is iBOiie pitaperly &e BafiMsfsaf
a general Dthgtf or a Cm^b^stim. Nettlier does a
fierce, and inexombk Jaggr become ^k fofanmt Mm-
'ifiraie ; GremUefs §f MM is aHuap witek aid bitmbk }
W CfW/jr is a Nott^ nd mm EfiB ^ WetJmtfsy asd
brills dtmm a Gsnmyitr to ihi Uvfi ^ a dsisfeiimr.

i

S .E , N .E C A

OF

CLEMENCY.

THE Hnnnnity add Excellence of AiiVutae ii
oonMled at all huids, ai welt by the Men of
Pktfiri, at tttofe that thiok crely Mm wat
xaaAn fbr liimfelf, as by the Stekh, that make Man aji<.
tilth!* C'-io-'iU-e, mini Barta fir thf cKmrnn Goa^ ef MairiJnJi
For it is, of all Difponiions, the inoft feaetabic and fuiet.
But before wa eoter any farther apeti ihe Difconrle, it
ihouM be firll k&6wB whu CUmtnty is, thM we am
djftinguidi ii ttcm Piij : which ii a f^dif irf/r ; though
tmay times lai&akta for a ^'/r/itf .- aed the next Thiite
wilt b«, to bring tlie Mnid to the /Ai^/r an/ Ettr^
•fif.

ChSUKScY ii a fawwmib Di^^Mv/ tit StlnJi
4MliiMm/tr tfiaia^ittPi'iiJ/bmtnti tr, -, ,. ,

tf M^rMfk>..fiitrmitsJiJuLtcfti* C"-"? A^"/
ftnalljiiKiirft^; ai VKAottit ibe Iclal RtmiffiM ^ a Ji-
j4nW Fuflilbment. We moft becaKfoInot toCMfeond
OflRMcywiA P(^; for as Rtligim vnrfinfi Ood, and
SMftrJhtimi frtfbants clnc W(»4hip{ To (houlii wedtftin-
guilh brtwixt Gtmmty and P/fy ; priifliji»g the «r#, Kad
dividing th« »/Aw. For ft'fy pniceedi frota a tiarrnw-
titfi if Mind, that refpefU rather the Fi^Imm than Ac
£Wi{A. It b a Kind of mordl Sicknefi, canffafted from
«ther People) Miifimanei ; fuch another Weaknef* m
i^ai^MBg, or Vftwwog foe Conpuy I or ts thitof fick

i6s SENECA

Eyes, tlikt dannof look upon othto' that are bleared
without drooping themreives. I will give a fhipwreckied
Man a PIank» a Lodging to a Stranger^ or a Piece of
Money to him that wants it: 1 will dry off the Tears of
my Friend ; yet I will not weep with him, bat treat hkn
with Conftancy and Humanity, as one Man ought to treat

It it obje£ted by Tome, that Ciemtney is an infignifi.

.^. . cant Virtue ; and that only the bad are

T^7"tr^ the better ibr it, for the good have no
Jiti^ii to all. ^^^ ^^ j^ ^^^ }^ ^jj^ 1^ pj^^^ ^

Phyfic is lA ufe only among the iick, and yet in Ho-
nour with the Sound ; ib the Innocent have a Reverence
for Clemency, though Criminals are properly the Objeds
of it: And then again, a Man may be Innocent, and yet
Jiave Occafion for it too : For by the Accidents of For-
tune, ^r the Condition of Times, Virtue itielf may come
to be in Danger Coiifider the moft populous City, fs^
Nation \ what a Solitude would it be, if none (houid be
left there but thofe that could ftand the Teft of a fevere
Juilice ? We (hould have neither Judges, nor Accufers i
none either to grant a Pardon, or to aik it. More or
.lefs, we are all Sinners ; and he that has beft purged
his Confcience, was brought by Errors to Repentance.
And it is farther profitable to Mankind ; for many De-
iinqucnts come to be converted. There is a Tender-
nefs to be ufed, even toward our Slaves, and that that
Ave have bought with our Money : How much more
then, to free, and to honefl Men, that are rather under
Our'ProCedtion, than Dominion ? Not chat I would have
it To .general neither, as not to diftinguifh betwixt the
good, and the bad ; for that would introduce a Confu-
fion, and give a kind of £i\couragement to Wickednefs.
It muit therefore have a Refped to the Quality of the
Offender, and feparate the curable from the defperate;
for it is an equal Cruelty to pardon all, and to pardon
Done. Where the Matter is in Balance, let Mercy turn
the Scale : If all wicked Men ihould be punifhed, who
fliQuld efcape ?

Though Mercy and Gentlenefs of Nature ^ke^ps all
^, * ;/ in Peace and Tranquillity, even in a

^ -^ CoUuge : yet it is much more beneficial,

7

Of CLEMENCY. aSj

«nd cbnfpicuoas in a Palace. Private in private Per*
Men in their Condition , are likewife fonst Intt it it
fri'uate in their Virtues ^ and in their more hentficial in
Vices \ but the Words and the Anions Princes,
of Princes are the Subjcft of puhiic Rumour ; and there-
fore* they had need have a tare, what Occaiion they
give People for Difcourie, of whom People will be
always a talking. There is the Government of a Prince
over his People^ a Father over his Children^ a Maftereyttt
his Scholars^ an Officer over his Soldiers. He is an un-
natural Father, that for every Trifle beats his Children.
Who is the better Mafter, he that rages over his Scholars*
for but miffing a Word in the LeSbn ; or he that tries
by Admonition, and fair Words, to indruA and reform
them? An outrageous Officer makes his 'Men mn from
their Colours. A fkilful Rider brings his Horfe to Obe-
dience, by mingling fair Means with foul ; whereas to be
perpetflally fwicching and fpurring, makes him vicious
and jadifh: And (hall we not have more Care of Men than
of Beafls f It breaks the Hope of getterous Inclinations,
when they are dcpreffcd by Servility, and Terror. Theri
is no Creature fohard to be pleafed with ill U/ageasMan.
- CLEMENCr. docs 'weii with aii, but M with f
Princes; for it makes their Power comfort- . J^Jf . ,
able, and beneficial, which would other- \ T'?1\l^
wife be the Peft of Mankind. It cftabliflies V ^'^ ^""^yJ
their Greatnefs when they make the Good p .
of the Public their particular Care, and ^'^^
employ their Power for the Safety of the People. The
Prince, in effe^, is but the Soul of the Community; as
the Community is the only Body of the Prince : So that
being merciful to others, he is tender of himfelf. Nor is
any Man fo mean, but his Mafter feels the Lo(s of
him, as a Part of his £mpire: And he takes care,
not only of the Lives of his People, but alfo of their
Reputation. Now, giving for granted, that all Virtues
are in themfelves equal, it will not .yet be denied, that
they niay be more beneficial to Mankind in one Peribn,
.than in another. A Beggar may be as magnanimous
as a King : For what can be greater or braver than to
baffle ill Fortune ! This does not hinder, but that a Man
in Authority, and Plenty, has more Matter for his

t64 S B N £ C A

GetneSXf to woik spen, tham a private PerfoOy and
ic k aUe more taken notice of upon the Bench, than.
«poa Ike Level, When a gncioos Prinoe fiiews himielf
to his People, they do not fly froai him as ftoin a Tyger»
ihac fOiiicd hifliielf oot of his Den; bnt they wodhip
lum as a beaev«leMt loflnence ; they iecnre hiai againft
all Confi^acjes ; and inierpofe their Bodies bet«rixt him
aad Dan^. They guard him «^ile he (leeps» and de-
fmi htm in thef idd agatnft his Enemies. Nor is it with*-
ott Reafim* this ananimous Agreement in Love and Loy-
ddty; and this heroical Zeal of abandoning themfelfes
Ibr die Sjilety of their Prince; hot it is as weU the Intereft
of the People. In the Breath of a Prince there is LUe
mmA Death ; and his Sentence ftands good, right or wroi^..
if he be ai^ry, no body daresadvile him; and if he does
4UBilB» who (hall call htm to aoconat I Now Ibr him tbat
has ib OMKltMifchief in his Power, and yet applies that
Fower to die common Utility, and Comfort of hit Peo-
ple, diffbfing alio Clemency and Goodnefs inco thrir
jtiearts too : What can be a greater Bleffing to Mankmi
than fudi a Prince? ^ Mmm may AiiJ aao^r agaiwf
the LaWf bot only a PriMt can Jiw him (o. Let him
(6 deal with his own Snbjeds, as he de&es God (hoold
deal with him. U Heaven Ihonld be inexomble to Sia«
ners, and deftroy all withoat Mtrcj^ what Fle(h coaM
be fafe? Bat, as the Faults of great M^ ore not jm-
fentJy pvniflied with Thaader from above, let them have
a like Regard to tfaetr Inferiors here npon Earth. He that
lias Revenge in his Power, and does not afe t^ is tbe
^reat Man. Which is the more beantifnl and agreeable
State, that 6f a calm, a temperate^ and a clear Day; oc
that of Lightning, Thaader, and Tempefts ? And this
is the very Difference betwixt a moderate^ and a tar-
bo'ent Government. It is for low and riilgar Spirits
to brawl, ftorm and tran^ort themfelves ; bat it is
not for theMajeflyof a Prince to lafli ont into Intem-
perance of Words. Some will rather think it Slavery,
than Empire, to be ddbarred Liberty of Speech : and what
if it be, when Government itfelf is but a more iiluftrieos
Servitade ? He that uks his Power as he fhoold ; takes
as mach Delight in making it comfortable to his Peopkj
as glorious to liimfelf. He is i£iUtev su^ ^Y of Ac*
^fs ; his very Countenance makes bim the Joy of his

Of CLEMENCY. «6c

Feoples Eyes, and the Delight of Mankind, He u be«
loved, defended and reverenced by all his Sabjeds t and
Men fpeak as well of hini in private, as in public : He is
fsife wicfaoDt Goards, and his Sword is rather his Orna*
ment,- than his Defenae : Ii^ his Duty, he is like that of
a good Father, that fometimes gently reproves a Son»
ibmetinies threatens him ; nay, and perhaps correAs him :
Biit no Father in his right Witsi will disinherit a Son for
the firft Faoit: There muft be many, and great OiFen*
cesy and only defperate Confequences that ihould bring
him to that decretory Refblution : He will make many
Experiments, to try if be can resdaim him firil, and no<i
thing but the ntmaft Defpair muft pot him upon Extre-
mities. It is not Flattens that calls a Prince thi Fanbif
•f his Country: The licfesof Great and Auguft^ are
Matter of Compliment, and of Honbur ; bat, in .calling
him Father^ We mind him of that Moderation, and In*
dttlgence, which he owes to his Children. His Subjects
are Members; where, if there mnft be. an Amputation,
let him>come flowly to it; and when the Part is cut^/F;
let. him wilh it were on j^in. Jax him grieve in the
doing. <>f iti He that pafles a Sentence ht^uyy looks as
if he did it willingly ; aiid then there is an Injuliice in
the Exce(s.

It is a glorious Contemplation, for a Prince, iirfl to
coafider the vaft Multrtadet of his Peo- -.. hlf/Ted ReHeni^
pie, whole feditious, divided, and im- f ' ^ ri".

potent Pdrions^wouM caft All m Coll- p .^-^ -^

fttfioa» and de£boy theihfelipefr; and '^^'^'^^•
public Coder too, if the Bond, of Government did not
rei^raift them : .And thence to pais to the Examination
of his Confcience, faying thus to himfelf, It is by the
Choice of Providence >that 1 am here made God's Depu-
ty upon Earth) the Arbitrator of Life, and Death ; and
tiiat'ujjon my. Breath depends the Fori une of .ray Peo-
ple< My Lips ane^the Oracles of their Fate, anci upon
them hang&.the Deftiny both- of Cities and of Men. It
is under my Favour thatiPeopleieek either for Profperity,
or Protedion : Thon^indB of Swords are drawn or meath-
ed.atmy Pleafore; WhatTbwns fhall be advanced oe
defirbyed 9. wha.ihair.be Slaves,, qr who free,, dependa
npoi) my Will ; vand:yet in this arbitrary Power of a^Uny

N

•66 8 £ N C C A

«idMHK Contrmil* I wa« never wai ^ w te d to do auy cf ud
ThiDgt either by Aiigcr» <x hot Blood in 'myjelf» or

a' che Conuunacyt Rai(hners,-or Provocatioss of other
en : though Aioiciettt 4o turn Meit^ kielf imo Fay.
I wns never moved by the odious Vanity of mdcing ary*
Alf terrible by my Power (that nocorfad, though coaunon,
Mnmoar of QfteoCaoon«ndGlQry» that hanntt imperious
Natures.) My Sword has not ooiy been boned in dw
€cabbard» bnt in a Manner boond to the Peace, and ten*
der even of the cheapcft Bhiod z And where I find no
other Motive to Compafion, Hnmani^itftif is fofident.
Ihave been always dmvts Severity, and pnone to lbi||fve|
and onder as Ari& a Guard to obdbrve me Lawi, as if I
•wttre accountable tor the breakii^of them. Some I paiw
doned for thev Yonth; others fx their Age. 1 ipurc one
Man far ik Dignity, aaodier for Ms Hnoulity; and
4when I find no other Matter to work apon, I ipare n^yfeif*
€o tliat if God flMKild at tlhis hoAMot caM me to an Ac*
count, the whde World would agree to witnels for me,
that 1 have not by any Force, dther pubJic or j^ru
"vate; either by myfelfi or by any other, defianded the
•CkMnmonwealth ; and the Repaistion that I have ever
Aught lor, has been that wbicfa /tw Princes have ob**
jtained, the Confcienoe of my proper Innocence. And i
have not loft my Labour nei^wr, ^ no Man was ever le
dear to another, as 4 have made myfelf.to the whoie fio-
4iy of my People* Under fuck a Prince the Sabjeft haa
nothing.to wi(h for, beyond what he enjoys $ tlmrlears
are quieted, and their rrayees heaid ; ami than is ao-
thing can oiake their Fdioty greater^ unieft to maJoe it

£^tual ; and there is nailiberty denied to the People,
It that of defifoyia<^ one another.
It is the Intereil of the People, by the Consent of all
rr. .L n/ ti I * Nations, to ran all Haxardaibr the

<%'lT''/.Ti ThoifiindDeathstoiedeemthatone
th^rfctyof.ihtfco^ Life, upon which fo many^Millions

^* dep^ids. Does not the wtolefiady

lerve ehe Mind» thongb ^ly the am is expolbd to the
JLyt^ and the other not ; bur, thin, «ui inviiUdey the
4rery Seat of it beiiig uncertain ? Yet the Hands, ^ett^
JMd ^yz% ab&xve the Motions of it: We lie down, ma

8

<5f CLE ME N CY: z6j

lib^y ^ad tamble, at tkat commands ut. If we be co«
fietooSf we fiih the Seas, atid ran&ck the Earth for Trea*
Ihre; If ambitious, we burn our own FleQi wfth Sc^gvt-
Jm ; we caft ourielves into the Gulph with Otniui . So
woqld that vail Muhitude of People, which is animated
hox with one Soul, govetntd by one Spirit, and moved,
by one Reafon, deftroy itfelf with iu own Strength, if it
^Were Jiot fopported by Wifdom, and Government.
Wherefore it is for their own Security, that the Peopk
vicpoie their Lives for their Prince, as the very Bond
that ties the Republic together; the v'»tal Spirit of fo
^any Thoufanos, which wiH be nothing clfe but a
Burden, and Prey, without a Governor, When this
Union comes once to be diiiblved, all falls- to Pieces % for
Empire and Obedience mud fiand and full together. It
is no Wonder then, if a Prince be dear to his People,
when the Community is wrapt up in him, and the good
of both as infeparable as the Body and the Head; th#
one for Streng^, and the o^her for Counfel ;. for what
fignifies the Force of the Body, withouc the Diredion of
m^ Underfianding ? While the Prince watches, his Peo*
pie flesep; his Labour keeps them atEa(e, and his BuA*
fyth keeps them at Quiet. The natural Intent of Mo-
narchy appears even from the yety Difcipline of pees :
Thev aifign to their Mafter the &ireft Lodgings, the fiif.
«ftrlac^$ and his Office is only to fee>'nthat dte Re&
perfom their Poties* When their King is loft, the
lyhojo Swarm diBplves: More than one, tl^ey will not
adniit ; and then they contend who (hall have the beft :
They are of all Creatures the iierceft, for their Bigneft;,
and leave their Stings behind them in their Quarrels ;
only the King himfelf has none, inti.aiating, that Kings
ihould neither be vindidive nor tniel, U it not a Shame^
after fbch an Example of Moderation in.thefe Creatures^
3t)Mt Men ihould be yet intemperate I It w^re well if they
loft their Stings too in their Revenge, as well as the
^er, that they might hurt but once, and do no MifchidT
by their Proxies. It would tire them out^ if either tlyey
were to execute all with their own Hands, or lo wooiad
p;her$» U the P^il of their own lives.

W jt

268 SENECA

A Prince (hould beliave him (elf gcncroufly • in the

• CTL P ' Power which God has given him, of
i b$ fnnct ^.^^ ^^^ j^^gjj^ . cfpccially toward thofe

• f /' ^''■"^' that have been at any Time his Equals;
ubelovu. ^^j. ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ jjjg Revenge, and the'

other his Punlfhment in it. He that (lands indebted
for his Life« has loft it ; but he that receives his Life at
the Foot of his Enemy, lives to the Honour of his Prefcr-
ver. He lives the laftin? Monument of his Virtue ; where-
as if he had been led m Triumph, the Spe6lacle would
have been quickly over Or what if he (hould reftorc
him to his ifingdom again ; would it not be an ample
Acceflion ta his Honour, to (hew that he found nothing
about the Conquered that was worthy of the Conqueror ?
There is nothing more venerable than a Prince that does
not revenge a|i Injury. He that is gracious, is beloved,
and reverenced as a common Father \ but a Tyrant (lands
ih Fear, and in Danger even of his own Guards. No
Prince can be fafe himfelf, of whom all others are afraid;
for to fpare none is to enrage all. It is an Error to
jmaeine; that any Man can be (ecure, that fuffers no bo-
dy die to bte fo'too. How can any Man endure to lead
an uneafy, fpurious, anxious Lifei when he may be
fafe, if he pleafes, and enjoy alf the Bldfings of Power,
together with the Prayers of his People ? Clemency pro-
teds a pTince without a Guard, there ts no need of Troops,
Caftles, or Forti(ications : SecuHty on the one Side, J5 the
Conditit>n of Security on the other ; and the A(fc6ions
of the Siibjeft arc the mofl invincible Fortref?. What
cab be fairer, than -for a Prince to live the Objeft of his
People** Love; to have the Vows of their Heart, as well
8is of their Lips ; and his Health and'Sicknefs, their com-
mon Hopes iarfd Fears; there will be do Danger of Plots:
Nay, on the contrary, who would not frankly venture
hts Blood to ferve him, onder whofe Government, Jufticc,
Peace, Modeftyv and Dignity flourifh ; under whofe In-
fl-jence,; Men '^row rich ^nd happy: and whom Mcii
l^Tok upon with fu^K- Veneration, astiiey would do opoa
th> hnmortal Go^ilfthey were Capable of feeinj; them ?
And as the true KcprtfetWaffve of the Ahfftighty-they con*
fidcr him. when he is gracious and bountiful, and employs
his Power to the Advantage of his Subjefts.

Of CLEMENCY. 269

^WflEN a Prince proceed3 to Puniflunent, * it maft be
ciiher (0. vindicate himfelf or others. It ^wl p -/jl
is a hard Matter to govern himfelf in his ^^. ""'-^ '
own Cafe. If a ManiK ould advifc him not '^'^ 'j ^ ^"
to be credulous, but to examine Matters, •^^'^* ^ ' '
and indulge the Innocent, this is rather
a ^^'oint of Juflice than of Clemency : But, in cafe t^at
he be manifeflly injured, I would have him f^rgive^
where he may /afdj do it ; and be tender even where
he cannot y0r^i<z;f ; but far more exorable in his own
Ca(e, however, than in another's. It is nothing to be
free of another Man*3 Purfe ; and it is as little . to be
merciful in another Man's Caufe. He is the great Man
that mailers his Paffion where be is ilung himfelf ; and
pardons when he might deilroy. The End of Punilh-
ment, is either to comfort the Party injured, or to fe-
cure him for the Future. A Prince's Fortune is above the
Need of fuch a Comfort, and his Power is too eminent to
i^k an Advance of Reputation, by doing a Private Man
a Miichief. T his I fpeak in cafe of an Afiiont from thofe
that are below os : But he that of an Equal, has made
any Man his Inferior, has his Revenge in the bringing
oir him down. A Prince has been killed by a Ser^bant^
dcftroyed by a Serpent ; but wholbever prcferves a Man
mi^ft be greater than the Perfon that he preserves. With
Citizens, Strangers, and People of low Condition, a Prince
is not to contend, for they are beneath him : He may fpare
fome oat of good- Will, and others as he would do fomc
Creatures that a Man cannot touch without fouling his
Fingers : But for thofe that are to be pardoned, or ex-
pofed to public Puniihment, he may uie Mercy as he fees
Occaiion 1 and a generous Mind can never want Induce-
ments and Motives to it; and whether it be Jge or
&ex. High or Lq^Wj nothing comes amifs.

To pa(s now to the Vindication of others, there muA
be had a f Regard either to the Amend- x, q'L v j f
ment of the Perfon punilhed, or the mak- \ a* ^ f
ing others better for Fear of Puniihtnent; *'"*' *"'* '
or the taking the Oilender out of the way for the Secu*
rity of others. An' Amendment may be^ procured by a
fmall Puniihment, fbr he lives more carefully that has
fomething yet to lofe $ it is a kind of Imf unity ^ to be
^ ■ N 3

iTO S^ B N E C A

ineBpzhh of ti/arihr Pitmjbmeat* The Corroptioits of
a Ctt3r are befl- cured by a lew and fpariog 'Severides^
for the Multicude^of Offenders creates a Coftom of Qfiend*
ing, and Company aothorizes a Cnme, and there u.
more Good to be don^ upon a SffeluU J^e by PaiieiK^xkUL
by Rigour^ provided that it pais not tor an Aj^probaiiam
of /// Mannen ; but only as an VmwiVininefi %o pro-
ceed to Extremities. Under a merciful rrince a Maa
will be afharaed to oflend ; becauie a Paniflnnent that
IS inflidled by a gentle Govemar, items liO fall heavier^
and with more Reproach : and it is nemarkable allb»
that thofe Sins are ifitn committed^ mthUk ^art nftty pfitm
pvn'fjbed. Caligula^ in five Years, condemned more-Peopio
to the Sa<k^ than ever went before hhn : and theiie
were /e*wer Parricides before the Laiv e^aimfi tkem ibam,
after. For our Anceftors did wifely preHime that tha
Crime would never be committed, until by Law ^
puniihing it they found that it might be done. Parricedes,
began with the Law againft them, and the Puniflimeftt
innru6led Men in the Crime. Where^there are few Ps«
i)i(hmentSy Innocency is indulged as a pnblic Good, aad
it is a dangerous Thng to ihew a City now ftrong it is in
• Delinquents, There is a certain Contumacy in the Na*
tore of Man, that makes him oppofe Dificulties. Wc^
are better to follow than t(> drive ; as a gcneroat Horfe
riJes beft with an eafy Bit- People obey nmlUmgh, whem-
fhey are temmanded kindfy. When Bttrrhms we Frefeft
was to Sentence two Malefa^rs, he broaght the War-
I ant to Nero to iign ; who after a long Relo£tancy came
1 3 it at laft with thiVExdamaion, 1 HJt^uld 1 t^mld not
nvrite* A Speech that deferved the whole World for an
Auditory, but all Princes efpecially i and that the Hearts,
of all theSnbjeds wonld conform to the Likenefi of their
Maftprs. As the Head is well, or ilU fois the Mind daUj.
or merry. What is the Difierence betwixt a Kfng^ and
a tyrant ; bat a Biverfity of WUU under one and tbefaxu
Power? The one deftroys for his Pleafure, the other,
upon Neceiilty -. A Difiindlion rather in Fad, than in
ICam?. A gracious Prince is armed as nxill as a Tyrant ^
l>aE it U for the Defence of his People, and not for the
Ruin of them. NoKingcan evnr have foithM Serrants
that accnftoms them toTortami vA Executfonf : Thft

Of ceemency: «7*

veiyGitilty themrehres do n«t kad lb anxiOfM a Life sis^
tHe Pcriocutors ; (or they arc iio» only afraid of JafHce^
botii diTiiie and human, b«t tt ii dangesous fomhem to^
aiend fheip Manaen*. fo that when they are oace tit, thcf
ikiuft contimie to be wkfced upon Naceffity. An oniver-
M Hatred unites in a popular Rage. A ten^^erate Fear
may be kept ia order ; but when it conies mice ta be^
continual and (harp, it provoke* People to>Extreroitics^
and tranfports them^ to defperate Resolutions : As wild
Beaib, when, they are preft'upon the 7W^ torn back»
and aflauk the Very Purfttera. A turbuknt Government
k a perpetual Trobhle both to Prince and People ; and
he that !•&• Terror t<^all othert, if not without Terro^
aifo himlelf. Frequent Funifbuients and Revenges mav
fopprefs the Hatred of a few^ but the» it ftirs up the De-
aettatioa of all. So that there is no deftroying one Ene*
my without making many. It is good' to mafter the /#7//
etf" being cruily even-while there may be Catji for it, and
ildW^rr to werk upon.

AUGUSTUS was-a gndons PHoee * when he had'
t&e Power in his own Hand ; but in the « ; ^ ,
T^imruiraiy he made ufe of his Sword, . ^J"^ ^«-
and had his friends i«ady amed to fet^*?'^^"^"*^*
spoa Anto^ during that Di^te- But he ^*" ' <-^'»0^-
behaved him^f afterwards at anodier Rate; for when hr
was betwixt forty and fifty Years of Age, he was told
that Ohml was in a Plot to murder him, %vith the Hme,
-Place, and Manner of the Defign ; and this from one; of):
the Confederates. Upon this herelblved upon a Re*
venge, and fenf fbr feveral ^^ his Ftitods t^adviie npon
it. Th< Thought of it k^ hilm wakinr, to confider,
•Aiat thei« was the JLtlit or a young M)bieman in the
Oife> the Nephew olF/^Mi^^y, and^a P^Hbn otkerwife iii-
•ocent. He was oiT and on ieverat Times, whether
he ihould put him to death or not« What (favs he)
JMl I U*v€ in IfuUt tmd Dmigfr ^f^% and tht Com"
irk/er $/ my Death waik free^ wid fpcuref WiU ml^ng
firnft hm but my Li/k^ nuikh PHvidenct has prefer^
td im-fi manf tMl Wmrs j in Jo^ mtmy . Batikfy ^th fy
Sta md haiid% itnd mw^ im tbr Staie ff an unhperjal
Wtae* too f nnd hH a fimfle Murder nek her ^ hut a Sa-
arijk^i./^ I 4m$0^.U affaulnd at^^be^mmJbee^v^emdi

«;« 5 .E N E C A

/halt th$ Ccntrhftr of tdl this FiUaffrf e/cape unfuuified?
Here Juguftm made a little Paufe, and then ncoUe^yng
Jiimfelf : JV#, »0, Cziar, (fays he) ii it rather Cacfar
^ban Cinna, that I am to he angry nvith: fFhy do I nr^
/tlf UHh any Umger^ after that my Death is heeome tht
Intereft 0/J9 many People? /9nd if I %o on^ txhat End
Weill there be of Bloody and of Funifiment ? Jf it he
eigainft my Lfe that the Nohility arms itfeif and U<ifeis
their IVeafcni ; «Jf fi'i^^ ^'fi i' »^' *usorth the nvhile^ if
fo many muft he deft r eyed that 1 may he preferred. His
Wife Livia gave bim here an Interruptkm» and defired
Kim, that he would for once hear a Woman^s Counfel,

* Df^ feejfs Jhet like a Phyfician» that when common Re-

* medies fail, will try the contrary. You hive got no-
' thing hitherto by Severity: After jSal^dianus thee
' followed Lepiduj, after him Murana ; C^pie followed
' hini, and Egnetiuj followed Qopio: Try now what
' Mercy will do ; forgive Cinna, He is discovered, and

* can do you no Hurt in your Perfon ; and it wiU yet
' advantage you In your Reputation/ ^ugufin/, was
glad of the Advice* aad he gave l^hanks lor it ; and
thereupon counterqaanded the Meeui^g; of liia Frieads,

,and ordered Cinna to be brought to him iibne; for
whom he caufed a Chair to be let* and then difcharged
the reft of the Company. * Cinna^ fays Auguflus^ be^

* fore I go any ferther, you muft promife not to give
' me the Interruption of one Syllable, until I have told
^ you all I have to fay, and you ih»li have Liberty af-

* terwards to fay what you pleafe. Yp^ cannot forget,
/ that when I found you in Af ms againft me. and not
^ only made my Enemy^, bu^ hotn fo ; I gave you your
' LiJPe and Fortune. Upon your Petition for the Prieft-
' hood, I granted it, with aRepolfetotheSonsof thofe

* that had been my Fellow Soldiers ; and you are at this
' Day ib happy smd fo rich, that . even the Conquerors
' envy him that is overcome ; and yet after all this, you

* are. in a Plgt, Cinnaj^o murder me/ At that Word
JZinna ftarted^ and interpofed with Exclamations, * That

* certainly he was far from beipg either fo wicked, or
.' mad*' 'This is fireac)i. pf Coriditions, Cinna, fays

* Augitfins^*^ it is not your Time to fpeak yet. I tell yau
' again, that yqu are in a Plot to murder me;' and io

Of C L E M E N C y. 273

*

lie. told him the Tiq;ie> the Place» the Confederates, the
'Order and Mailner of the Deiign> and who it was to do
the jyted, Cinnoj upon this^ fixed his Eye upon the
Ground, without any Reply; not for his Word-fake,
but as in a Confaiion of Confcience ; and (fi Au^uftus
went on, * What, fay^ bct may yo'ur'Dcfign be in all

* this f Is it th^t you would pretend to ilep into tay

* Place ? The Commonwealth were in an ill Condition,

* if only Auguftiis were in the Way betwixt you and the

* Government. You were caft the other Day in a Caufe

* by one of your- own Freemgn\ and do you expcd tO

* find a weaker Advcrfary of C>/2ir /* But, what if I wem

* removed ? There is Mmilius PauUs^ fabitis Maxrmus,

* and twenty other FamiKes of great Blood and Interell,

* that would' never bear it.' To cut off the Story (hort,
j(for it was a Difcourfe of above two Hours ; and Au-
tuflm lengthened the Puniihment in Words, fince he
Intended that (hould be al).) ' Well, Cima^ fays he,
' the Life that I gave to you once as an Enen^^ \ will

* now repeat to a Traitor ^ and to a Parricide^ and this

* (hall be the lad Reproach 1 will give you, For the

* Time to come there (hall be no other Contention

* betvyixt you and me, than which (hall out do the other

* in point of Friendihip/' After this Auguftui made
Cinna Conful, (an Honour, which, he confeifed, he durft
not (b much as defire) zn^Cinnd was ever affedionateiy
faithful to him ! He made Qafar \iS%Jote Heir ; and this
was the loft Conf piracy that ever was formed againft him.

This Moderation of Auguflui was • the £xcellency
of his* mature Age ; for in his Youth he * a' „ii ^
was paffionate and fudden; and he did *^ ,*" .. '
many Things, which afterward he looked ^^'^^^^^//i^/t
back upon with Trouble ; After the Battle ^'' ^»'«'-''«
of A^ifiiif fo many Navies, broken in Sicil^^ both R^^
man and Strangsrs ; the Ftrujian Ahars^ (where 300 Linnet
yttTtfacrificedxo the Gbo/i of Julius )\i\% freq^uent Prt/crip^
tions, and other Severities ; his Tempirance at laft feemed
to be little more than a iMeary Cruelty. If he had not

forgiven thofe that he conquered, whom (hoiild he have
gonjerued?' He chofc his very Life-Guard fxova among his
Enemety and the Flonmr of the Romans owed their Zi'ves

' to his Ckmincy^ Nay, he only puniihed Ufidui htmfelf

N 5

374 SENECA

with Baaifimemtp ancT permitted him to *.veftr the Snfymf
oi hit Digmiy^ without taking the PMtiJicaii to himfell^
b long as LefUus was livtog j for he would not poflefe it
at a Spoils hot as an H9ifur. This Clemency it was that
fecorel Urn in his Greatnefi, and ingratiated him to the
People* though he laid his Hand upon the Government
heibfe they Md thoroughly fobmitted to die Yoke ; and
this Clemencjr it was, uat made his Nami fmmous to P^
/triiy. This is it, that makes us reckonhimW^Wn^, with-
out the Anthori^ of an J^9tie^s» He was Qi tender and
patient, that though many a bitter Jeft was broken upoQ
him (and CmtumSis upon Princes are the moft htdtrnUi
ef all i^tiriis) yet he never puniflied any Man upon that
SttbjcA. h is then generous /• be merciful, 'wbtu tng
bmvi it im §Hr Power to uit Revenge.

A Son of fUut Ariiu being examined, and found *
M J mi 'Ai g^*^^y ^^ Parria'de was baniihed Reme, -and

jt Mira/ki ^Q„fi„gj| j^ Mar/eiUes, where his Father

<r^!!!r '-^ allowed him the iame Annuiqr that he had
Augnnus. y^^Qj^.^ ^hich made all People conclude Jiim

guilty, when they iaw that his Father had yet e9n^imxBd
the Son that be could not batg, Jiquflus was pleaied lo
fit upon the Fad in the Houfe cS Jriuj^ only as a /ngh
Mtmbtr of the Council^ that was to examine it : If it had
been in C^i/ar'^i Palace, the Judgmtwt muft have been

. C^/ar\ and not the Father**. Upon a full Hearing of
the Matter, Car/or direded, that every Man ihould write
his Opinion, whether ^inV/^ or«;/, and without dedanog
his own for fear of a partial Vote. Before the opening of
the Books, Ca/ar pafied an Oath, that he would not be
jitrus his Heir ; and to ihew that he had no Intereft in
hts Sentence, as appeared afterward ; for he was not con-
demned to the ordinary fwnijbmeut of Parricides^ nor
to a Prifon ; but, by the Mediation of Cafar^ only ba-
nifl^ed R me^ and confined to the Place which his Father
ihould name : Juguftus infixed upon Jt, that the Father

. ihould content himfelf with an eafy Puniihment ; and
arguing, that the young Man was not moved to the Ac-'
tempt by Malice, and that ht was but half refolved upon
the Fa&, fur he wavered in it; and therefore to remove

. him from the City, and from his Father's Sight, would
be fufiicient. This is a glorious Mercy and worthy of a

m- CL'risirKNCT. t^

ilHme. to Buke'dl'TyDg* gcndar whttwitt be coofa.
How nifrrable i*tUit Maa in binieir, who when he has
employed hit Pdwtt la Rapine and Cnielty upon other*,-
>f yet more unhappy in himrdf : He Band) in Fear both
of hit Dwneftiet, and of Stcanmri ; the Futh of hii
Tricnd>t tod ihc Piety of his Children, and fiiei to ac- -
wal Violence to Secure him from the Violmce he ftan.
When he comet lo look aboat him, and to conlider
wfa^t he igi done, whaf he m^, a«d wh«t he it ai«M
to do t fAtt with the ^iiked»tji, and with the Tar.
rntHti of hit Cm/dntf, many Timet be feort Death, oft-
wet he wJBMt for it | and Uvct more odiDiii to him&tft .
than to hitSab]e£ti ; whereas, on the coatrary, be that
ukes a Care c^ ih» Public, though o£ one Part more-
perbapa than of anoiber, yet there ii not-any Part of it,
but he looki upon as Part of.himlcIL Hit Miad (• lea-
der zBcf gentle, andcvea where Pun ifhanent tt necefla-
ry anj potable, be comet toil uowilliagly, sndwitb>
out any Rancour or Enmity inhis Hearc, Let the Au-
thority, in fine, be wfaat it wiU, Clemency bccoooej ir,.
and the greater the Power, the greater is the Glory of
it. A M a triUy RijaI Virluc, ftr a Pri'-ct md/li'Mr bit
PtB^ frtn6t!aet Mta's An^tr, oninst tatffrtfi ihmviitk-
i/ii own.

HS

[ .76 ]

E P I S T L E S.

- . EP JS t L E L\ ..

Certa't gitiral DirtaUni far the- Gmermmdni 4/
th$ Vtict J at in [peaking fifi #r Uud, qmki tr ,
JIbw : The Spiecb it tte Index *f the J^nd.

YO U fay well, ' that m Ipcakiag;, the my Or-
dering of the Voice {(olaynotbingbf thcAdions,
Counieiiances, and Other Circumftancesi that ac-
company it) is n Cnnlideration worthy of a, wife Man.
There are that prefcribe certain Modes of RiSng and
Falling : Nay, if you will be governed hy them, yoa
(hall not fpeak a Word, move a Step, or eat a Bit, but
by a Rule : And thefe perhaps ace coo critical. Do hoc
underltatid me yet, as if I made no Diffe.-eace betwixt
entering upon 3 Dirontrfe .ioo4 M. foft 1 for the Aficfli-
cns do i:flfuraliy rife by Pegrces|-.«nd, in all DifputM.
or Pleadings, whether public o^private, a Man {hould
"properly iSgin with Modeft^ aM Temper ; and lb ad-
vance by liule, ifiieeil ^c^intg Ctwnour, and Vocireia-
lion. And as the Voice rifes by Degrees, let it fall fo
loo ; not fnapping ctf upon a fudden, but bating, ai
upon Moderation : The other is unmaniierly and nide.
He that has a precipitate Speech, ia commonly violeniJa
his Manners: Bffide, that there is in it much of Vanity
and Gmptinefs ; and bo Man takes Satisfaction ioa Flat
of \yDrd3, without Choic*; where tiw Noile is more
than ihe Value. Pabiuivi3,» a.Man eminem, , both for
Us Life and i.eanun£; txii no kfs for hia Eloqueacb

EPISTLES.

3^77

*His*Speech Wits rather eafyaitd Htdrng, tHanqaick';
- which he accounted to be not only liabk to many Er-
rors, but to a Sufpkion of Inimodefty. Nay let a Man

• have Words nerer fo much at will, he wiU no more
ipeak fafl, than he willnm ; for fear his Tongue fhould

4 go befor'e^his V/it. The Speech of -a Philo/opbir fhould

* belike h^Life> compoM, withAvcPveffing or Stum*
*biingt which \i ikter for a Moontebank; than a^Man
of Sobriety and Buf)oert< 'And then to drop one Word
after aaibtherj he*ts as bad on-the other Side: Thelatei-
japtien H tedi6tt9/ and tires out the Auditor with £x*

. pe6lation. Truth and Morality ihould be xielivered in
Words plain, and without AiFedlation ; for, like Reme-
dies, unlefs theyttay^wltii us,- we-are never the better
for them. He that ivoi^dr work iipon ^lis Hearers, muil
no more expeft'^tb do if upon the Pbll, than a Phyfician
to cure his Patients, only m pafiing by them. Not but
that I would have a wife Man, In fome Cafes, to rai'e
himfelf, and mend Hfs' Pace*; *but ftrll wfth a Regard to
the Dignity of his Manners ; • ihoogh there may be a great
force alfo in Moderation. J would have his Difcoprfe
fmooth, and flowing like a River ; not impetuous, like

.'a Torrent^. ' Thef^ira rapid, lawkfs^ and itfeypca^jte
Velocity of speech,* which'. 1 would icav^f ^low, even
to an Orator; for if he be tranfpoi ted < with Paflipn, or
Odentation,' a Man's Attention can hardly keep hiai

-Company. It is not the Quantity, but the Pertinence,
that does the Bufineis. Let the Words of an ; anc jei^
Man floVy foft and gentle ; but not run on witbotit Fear,
OP Wk, as if a whole Declamation uete to be but ozle
Period. " Cicero wrote with Care, and. that which witt
for ever ftand the Teft. AILpublk Languages ate ac-
cording to the Humour of the Age. A Wantonnefs and!
Effeminacy of Speech, denotes. Luxury ; for the Wit
follows the Mind : \i the latter be ioand, xdrnpofedl,
temperate, and gravQ ; the Wit is dry, .and fober too>:
But if the one be corrupted, the other is like wife unr
found. Do we not (ee, when a Man'js -Mind is heavy,
how he creeps, and draws his Legs afcei him ? A. finical
Temper is read in the. very Gcftures and Cloaths ; if a
Man be choleric and violent, it is al^ difcovered in his
Motions. An angry Man fpeaks ihort and quick i thje

sjc* V r T a T t t s^

Spcydiof w eftMJiMH Mm U to^fe mi4 mMng. A
^nmt and feKdiODa Way of Speikiv, u the Sign of a»
weak liGnd ; but a gieat Man fpeaki witli £ale» aadt
I roe dom i and widfemare Aflkrancii. thoogh kk Cai^
Speech it die ifn^ar of the MM : When yoo fee a Mini*
dic6» and lethia QoAet k PHiit» voo (hall be five €»•
ind hit Wordt lb tao^ and toihio^ m Iheq^ 4ttt it fm^
andwe^hty: It doct flto(jbeo9aM a Ifaa feo be 4USw»/y..
At ic tt in Drink* die Toaffqe never lnpt» vntil.die MliwL
be over«4x>rn ; ib it It wiSiSpeedwIbloqf atdMrUfaid«
it whole aad found, die S p e ech it tnaftidinf and ilraa^.
but if one faib» the odwr followt.

£ B I S T L E n.

♦

Of Stiles^ Cemp^fitims^ mt4 tbt Cboks 9/ tVurdu
That h tbi hifi fVay ff Writii^y, and Speaiitig^
wbiih it fr§» aad wafuraL Ad^a comirmng
JRstMng.

YOU ttnnot expt6k any ariahh and umnnrfyt
RiJ9^ either for the Siiit. or Ibr |he Manner of
Spcakifligt or Wridttg I hecanle they vary accord k^ to
Ufage and Qccafion. So that 9tt moft contjvnt ourieives
with Cemrais. Men write and ^«k commopty accord-
ing to dM Humodrof the Age they live in : Aad ther^
it aHb a 0>rFefpondence betwixt the Laogoage and the
life of pardcttlar Pcrfons ; at one may give a near
Giie4 at a Man, by hit very Gait, FtArniti}re and Clothc^i.
In the firft Places let the Seofe be honeft,, and nobic ;
not pinohed ap inSentencet, but (ubftaetial, and of high-
er £>e(itn, with netbiiig in it fop^rfiiioot. Let the Words
be fitted to the Matter : And where the SnbjeO it fami-
liar, ict the Srile be £a loo. But gieat Tbooghts muj^
have fuitable Bxprefiont ; and there oaght 10 be a Kind
of Tranfport in the one, toanf^^er it iin the other. It it
not enough to compofe a jA^bnt JFable^ ai^ |ick}e ()»e
Fancy; hot be that treats of iveigbty MaUeH, fliuft do
h ia the grave, aad fober Tem4« Therf «re ibme that
iuve not <> much of the V^our of laa Qriaor, of of ji^

fbtttentioasSbarpQeft ; and yet the Worthinefi of the Senior
makes Amends tor the Lowne& of the Stile. Our Fore-
fathers were not at all delighted wtth> fine Words, and
Flowers : But their Compofitions were ftrone, eqaaf^
and manly. We have now-a-days here and there A*
Point ; bat die Work is oneven, where only this or
that Particttlar k remarkable. We never admire this^.
or that fingle Tree» where the whole Wood is all of a
Height. A fpecioss Title*Page BMiy commend a fiook
to Sale, but not for Ufe/ An eminent Author is to be
taken down whole, and not here and there a Bit It i^
a Maimine of the Body to uke the Members of it apart ; .
Aor is it a handfoma Leg, or Arm, that makes a hand*
ibme Man ; but the Symmetry and Agreement of all to*
gether. It is the Excellency of Speaking and Writing,
to do it clofe, and in Words accommodate to the Iiiteii^
tion ;. and I would yet have (bmewhat more to be figni*
fied,.than is delivered i h being alio a Mark of Strength,
and Solidity of Judgment. The Propriety of Words,
ia ibme Cafes, is wonderful ; efpecially when we are
wen read in the Knowledge of Things, and of Duties,
and there is a fingnlar Grace in the Gendenefi of Nun^«
bers when they run fmootb, and without Perturbation.
Some are raifed and ftarded at Words, as a Horfe is at
a Drum ; and indulge the ?ery Paffion of the Speaker.
Others are moved with the Beauty of Things ; and
* when they hear any Thing bravely urged againfl Death
or Fortune, they do fecredy with for fome Occaiion of
experimenting that Generofity in themfelves. But not
one of a Thoufahd of them, that carries the Refolution
home with him that he had conceived. It Js an tafy
Matter to excite an Auditory to the Love of Goodoe^^
liaving already the Foundation and the Seeds of Virtue
within themietves : So that it is but awakening the Con*
£deration of it, where all Men are agreed beforehand
upon the Main. ' Who is fo (bidid, as not to be roufed
at fuch a Speech as this ? Tife poor Man nvantt mai^
ThingSp Bui tbt covetous Man nuanis (UU Can any Fleih
forbear being delighted with this Saying, though a Saui^
againft his own Vice ? As to forced Mgtafbors, .and wild
Hyperhehsf I would leave them to the Potts. • And 1 am
Utterly againft fooling with tinkling.CoxiGeits and Sounds;

tZo EPISTLES.

Not that I would wholly forbid the Ufe of llyferholis.;
which^ although they exceed the Truth, may yet be a
MeanSy by Things iocredible, to bring us unto Things
credible. And there may be great U(e made al^ of
Parabln : For the Way of Application docs nfually
more aife^ ^he Mind, than the downright Meaning.
That Speech , which gains upon the PafiTons, is madi
more profitable than that which only works upon the
Judgment. Cbry/ipius was a great Man, and of an acote
Wit i but the Edge of it was (o fine, that every Thing
turned it: ahd he might be (aid, in Truth, rather to
prick the Subje^ that he handled^ than to pierce it
through.

As it is not for the Honour of a Philofipber to be feli-
citous about Words, I would ' not have hita negligent
neither ij But let him fpeak with AfTurance, and with-
out AfFeflation. If we can, let our Difcourfcs Be power-
ful I but however, let them be clear. 1 like a Compofi-
tion that is nervous and iirong ; but yet I would bare it
iWeet and gracious withah . There are many Things, I
know, that pJeafe. welj enough in the Delivery, and yet
will hardly abide the Ted of an £xaminatiofl. But
that Eloquence is mifchievcus, that diverts a Man from
Things to Words, and little better than a Proftitution of
Letters. For what ftgnifies the Pomp of Words or the
' Jumbling of Syllables, to the making up of a wife Man ?
'lully*^ Compofitions indeed are equal, his Numbers are
harmonious, free, and gentle ; and yet he takes a Care,
pot to make any Forfeiture of his Gravity. Fabian b a
treat Man, in bein^ fecond to Cicero. Pollio is a great
Man too, though a Step below him ; and (b is Livy
like^viie, though, he comes afrer the othef three. But
•feveral Subjedls require feveral Excellencies. An OraSer
Ihould be fharp; the Tragedian great, and the Qmudian
pleafant. When a Man declaims againd Vice, let him
be bitter ; again ft Danger, bold ; againfl Fortune, proud;
againft Ambition, reproachful : Let him chide Luxury,
defame Luil : An Impotei^cy of Mind muft be broken.
In thefe Cafes, Words are the leafl Part of aa honeft
Man's Buiine.^.

In the Matter of Compofition, I would write as I
fpeak i With Eafe aad Freedom 5 for it is. more fticadly

EPISTLES. i^i

as well as more natural : And fo moch my Tncltnatjon,
that if I could make my Mind vifible to you, J would
Beither rpeak nor write it. If i put roy Thoughts ki
good Senfe, the Matter of Orcament i Ihail leave to the
Orators. There are ibme Things that a Man may write
even as he travels : Others, that requ're Privacy aod
Leifure : But^ however, it \s good in Wtiting, as in other
Caies, to leave the beft Bit for the laft. A Vhtlofopher
has no more to do, than to fpeak properly, aud in Words
that exprefs his Meaning. And this may be dene with-
out Toffing of the Hands, Stamping, or any violent
Aeitation of the Body ; without either the Vauity of the
Theatre, on the one Hand, or an infipid Heavineis on
the other. I would have his Speech as plain and fimple
as his Life ; for he is then as good as his Wbrd^ when
both hearing him, and feeing him, we find him to be
the fame Perfon. And yet if a Man can be eloquent^
without more Pains than the Thing's worth, let him uib
his Faculty : provided that he value himfelf upon the
Matter, more than upon the Words ; and apply himfelf
rather to the Underflanding, than to the Fancy i £1^ this
is a Bufmefs of Vutoe, not a Trial of Wit. Who it
there that woiM not Hfiutt have a healing, than « rheia*
rical ?bjfician? But for elleemin^ any Man purely upon
the Score of his kheCoric, I would as ibon chufe a Pilot
for his good Head of Hair.

In the Matter of Reading ; I would iiX upon foine
particular Authors, and make them my own. He that
is ^very where, is no wh^re ; but like a Man that fpends
his Life in Travel, he has many Hofts, but few Friends.
Which is the very Condition of him that ikips from one
Boole to another: The Variety does but diHrad his
Head, and for want of Digcfting, it tarns tp Corruption^
inftead of Nourilhrnent) It is a good Argument of a
well'Compofed Mind, when a Man loves home, and to
keep Company with him/elf: Whereas a rambling Hea4>
is a certain Sign of a ilckly Humour. Many Bookr»
and.manyt Acquaintaoces, bring a Man to a Levity of
Difpofi:tk)n, and a Liking of Change. What is the Body
the hifi^er.for Meat, jthat will not flay with it ? Nor is
there any Thing more hurtful in the Cafe of Difeafes,
or Wounds^ than tjhe frequent fliifdng of PhyiiCy or

«9s BPISTtES.

Plaiiers* Of Atubmn^ be (are to make Choice of "Sa^
kcft ; and (as 1 faid before) to ftick clofe to them ; and
choQgh you take op others byt the bye, referve ibme fe»
leA Ones however for your Study and Refireat. In yoi]^
Reading* you will every Day meet with Coniblation and
Support agaiaft Poverty* JDeatb, and o&er Calamities*,
incident to human Lifo : Extrad what you like ; and
Aen fingle oatfome Particolar from the reft* fortha^
Day's Meditation^ Reading doemot only foed, and en-
tertain the Underftanding ; but when a Mai is do6d
with one-Mudy, he relieves himfelf wirii another^^but ftifi^
Reading and Writing are to be taken op by Turns. So^
long as the Meat fies ^ole upon the Stomach* it is a
Burden to us ; but upon the Concodion, it paflea into
Strength and Blood* And fo it fares with our Studies;
fo long a» they Ke whole, they pi^ into the Memory
without 9SkQM% the Underftanding. But, Ufon Me-
ditation thty become our own* and ft^ply us withl
Streogtli and Virtae : The Bee that wandera and fips
faom every Ftower^ difoofea what ihe has gathered iutAr
IttrCella.

^0timmmam^^mmmmt»^^>tmmmm0mmm-mmim0mmtm'^k. MN

Jt P I S T t E UL

J^einft all SmrU rf JfiSlMtim im Difcmarfe^ fia^
taftical SfttiSn i imferimmi and tmfinfiuMa Sak^
filties. Matis Bupmfi k Fktui^ mi fTarA*

TH E R £ are many Men (and fome of great Senfe
too) that !o(e both the Profit* and die Reputation^
of good Thoughts, by the uncoeth Manner of exprefing-
^Ihem. Th^ love to tafk in Myfttfj^ and take it for a
Klark of Wt/Jom^ not to be mni&pwii. They are fo fond^
of making themieives public* that tliey will< nther bo^
ndiculoin, than^ not taken notice of. When the Mind
grows iqueamiih* and comes to a Loathing of Things
that are common* at iX they were firdii^ mat ^cknels-
(betrays ftfelf in our way 6i Speaking too :- for we mA
have »rw Word$^ netv Canpe/tiivtrr; and it paflhs for an*.
Ornament to hocrowe from etlier Tetigsea, wieie wrmftyv

K P r S T L E S. ;t%

^ better forniflied in our own. One Man prices him-
fidf upon being concifit and talking in ParMes : Aik>-
iher mns hifflielf out in W^rds ; sind that which he take»^
only for copi^us^ renders him to others both rmeuhm and
uM&us^ Others there are, that like the Erfor well
cnooghy bot cannot come op to it. But take this for a.
Rule; Wbirifin<vir the Speeth h c^trrupud^ fi is. the Minify,
Some are only for Word« antiquated, and long fince oat
of Date; others only for that which is fppular and
t^mrfe ; and they are both in the Wrong ^ for the oo^
takes too licde Ca«e, and the other too much. Somnr
are for a rou^^ hfkm StiUy as if it were a Thing unman*
ly to pleaib- the Ear ; oihen are too mce upon the Mat<^.
ter of Numb ft ^ and make it rather Si/^Mg than SpioUng,.
Some afi|b£k not to be inderftood till the End of m
Period, and hardly then neither. It is not good, a Stile
that is either too bold, or XQoJkrUi the oae wants Mk^
deftfj and the other £fe^. Some are too Jlattbtf and:
formal \ others take a Pri4e in being ruggfd% and if they,
chance to let fsdX 2iay Thing that it imeoAf they wiit
ttaafpofe and mangle it on purpefe, only tamaim the
Period, and diftppoint a Body's Esrpeaatbn. Thefe
Erron are commonly introducw by fonie Perfen that is
Cimoas for bis Eloquence » others MViif him, nnd fo it
pailes mto Pafhion. Aftd we a»e as much out in the<
Choice of the Matter^ as in that of our Words^

Tbeub sae fome Studies whkh are .only Matter of
Curiofity, and Trial ef SkSl ; ethers ef PleaJure, and ofi
Ufo : But (till there are many Things worth the kaoW«
ieg, perhaps, that were not worth the LearDin|;« It is «
huge DeiU of Time that is ^nt in Cavilling about
Wofds^ and captious Dtfputations, ^at works us up td
ai^ Edge, and then nothing comes onJt. There are fome-
Tricks «f Wic, like^ ^l^ht of Hand, whkh- amount lo^
BO more than the Tying of Knocs only to loofi ftithem^
•gain; and k is the very Paltacy that pleaies as ; for ib
foon as ever we know how they are done« the Satisfac*.
tion is at an. end. He that does not underftand thefe S$*
fhi/msj is never the worfe ; and he that does, is ne^ur
the better* If a Mse fells me that I have Horns, I can.
tdl him again, that I have none, wtthoat feeline on my.-
Fereheait^ Bipn's Viimm nmAtf tiS Mm fa h finrii^

a84 EPISTLES.

tegiousf and yet at the fame time maintains, that there*.
is no fach Thing as Sacrilege, Hi that raAes ttk himftif
(fays he) *wkat ociongs to God^ csmmiti Sacrilege ; bmt
ail Things belong to Godt therefore he that ap^Iiei any
Thing to his own U/e is fa^rilegous, Qn the other Side,
the very l^ifii'g of a Temple he makes xoh^ no Sacrilege :
For it ij (fays he) ht*t the taking 0/ fomethtng out oj one
Pla€€ that belongs to God, and removing it to another ibai
behngi to him too* The Fallacy lies in this, that though
all Things btlong to him, all Things are not yet dedi-
cated to him; There is no greater Enemy^ of Truth,
than over much Subtihy of Speculation* Protagoras
will have every Thing difputable, and as much to be
faid for the one Side, as for the other* Nay, he makes
it another Queftion« Whether rvery Thing he difpiUahU
crno? I'here are others that make it z^Science, to prove,
that Man knows nothing : But the former is the more
tolerable Error ; for the other takes away the very Hope
of Knowledge ; and it is better to know that which is
fuperfluous» than nothing at all. And yet it ia^ a Kind
of Intemperance to defire to know more than eaough ;
for it makes Men troubl^lbme, talkative^ in^pertinent,
conceited, l^c* There is a certain Hankexing after
Lei^rnines which if it be not put into a right Way, hin-
ders, and falls foul upon itfelf . Wherefore the Burden
mull be fitted to the Shoulders, and no more than we are
able to bear. It is in a great Meafure, the Fault of oar
Tutors, that teach their £)ifciples rather how to difpute,
than how to live: >md the Learner himfelf is alfo to
blame, for applying. himfelf to the improvement, rather
of his Witj than of his Mind: By which Means Philo*
fophy is now turned to PliUlogy, Put a Grammarian to
• at rirgil; he never heeds the Fhilofophy but the Vtrfe :
Every Man takes Noies for his own Study. In the fame
Mea4pw the Cq^ finds Grafs^ the Dog ftarts a Harey and
the Stork fnaps a Uzzard, Tully% De Repuhlica, finds
. Work both for the Philfjopher, the Philologer, and the
.Grammar ian* The FhiU/opber wonders how it was pof-
iible to fpeak fo much agaiuil Juftice* The Fhiioioger
makes this Obiervation, that Rome had tnm Kin^s : the
one without a Fafber, ai^d the other without a Mfsthor ;
foe it is a Queftion, who was Servius his Mother^ and of

E P I S T L E Si 28j

^ncus his Father^ there is not fo much as any Ment*on« •
The Grammarian takes notice, thac Rtap/a is afed for
Reipfa\ and ^pft for Se'tffa. And fo every Man makes
his Notes for h»s own Purpofe. Thefe Fooleries apart,
let us learn to do good to Mankind, and to pat our
Knowledge into Action, Our Danger is the being miA
taken in Things^ not in Words ; and in the confounding
of Good and EVil.' So that our whole Life is but one
continued Error, and we live in Dependency upon To-
morrow. There is a World of Things to be ftudied,
and learned, and therefore weihould difcharge the Mind
of Things onneceflfary, to make way for greater Mat-
ters. 7%e Buiinefs of the Schqpl is rather a Play, than
a Study, and only to* be done when we can do nothing
clfe. There are many People that frequent them, only
tb hear, and not to learn; and theytake Notes too, not
to reform their Manners, but to pick up^ Words, which
they vent, with as little Benefit to others, as they heard .
tliem to themfelves. It coib us a great Deal of Time,
and other Men's Ears a greit Deal of Trouble, to per-
chafb the Charad^er of a Teamed Man ; wherefore F fhall-
cveii content myfclf with the coarfe Title of an fioneft-
Man. The worft of it' is, that there is a vain, and idle*
Pleafure in it, which tempts qs to fqnander away many a
precious Hour to ytry little Purpofe. We fpend eor-
(elves upon Sabtilties, which may perchance make us to
be thought learned, but not good. Wifdom delightsUn
Opennefsand Simplicity ; in the forming of ourXiives,
rather than in the Niceties of the Schools, which, tit^^e(l»
do but bring us Pleafure without Profit, And in (Wf^
the Things which the Pi&//y?^i'^/ impofe upon us- with-
fo much rride and Vanity, are little more than the fame
LeiTons over again, ivhich they learned at School. But
{omt. Authors have their Names, though their Difcour-
fes be mean enough ; they difpute, and wrangle, but
they do not edify any farther, than as they keep us from
iil-doing. or perhaps flop us in our Speed to Wickednefs.
And there ought to be a Difference betwixt the Ap-
plaufes of the Schools, and of the Theatre ; the one
being moved with every popular Conceit, which does not
at all confift with the Dignity of the other. Whereas
there are fome Writings that ftir up fome generous Refo-

7

g^ *P1STL»S.

lotioaf» that do, m it were, in^re « Man whh a new
Soul. They diij^Uy the Blefiaffs of jk happy Life, and
soiled me at the ume time with Admiratioa and with
i)oM, They give me a Veneration for the Oracles of
iUiMttity, and a Qaim lo them, at to a common bhe-
ritaace; foriheyare the Treafmre of Mankind, and it
auft be my Duty to improve the Smdc, and tranfmit it
to Pofteri^. And yet I do not love to heara Man cite
,Zmf , CliMuba^ £/iV«r»/» wlthoot Ibmethaog of his OM
too. What do I care for the b^re hearing of chat whudi
I may xeadi Not j>at that Wofd of Moudi makei a
fiicst Impwflio0. efpeciaUy when they aie the SpcakcPt
5wn Worda : Bot he that only recite* another Man^
Worda, ii oo more to me than a Nottry* Bcfidc that
thew is an End of Invention, if we reft upon what u in-
'vemed already ; and he that only fbliows another^ is &
far lirom finding out any Thii^ new, that he dow not b
math as kok for it. I do not pretend all this while t^
ht the Matter of Txath, but I a|^ yet a moft obftinate
InmaUaDr after itp 1 am no Man's Slave; but as lal*
oibemach to great Men, I dujlenge ibmething to my-
felf Our Fore-fathers have kft us not only their inve»^
tioii* but Matter alfi) for fai ther Enquiry, and perhafs
they might have found out moie Things that are necef^
fcry. if meytad notbcnt their Thoughts too moch upon

iTnot Aiaafoe tiuae for us to he fiddling and fooling
dbeut Wonds ? How many iifcful, and neccflary Things
AKe there, that we have firft to learn, aod iecondly, to
tmpciut in our Minds } For it is not enough to mnember,
aod to underftand, ftolcis we do what W4 know* .

B P I 9 T L E. S. a»y

EPISTLE IV;

Mufinefs^ and want ef New$^ an nc Excufg among
Fntndi^ for n9t trrittM^ Wifi Mtn arttbiha^,
Ur for tm anoAer^ Sow fir If^ifilMi may h
4utoamtd ^ Preetpi*

YOUR hft Letter was veryikoft; and the whole
Ijeteer itlelf was little more than an fixcufe for
the Shartneb «f it. One while you tite fo full of Svfi^
i^ff that yen cannot write at all ; and another while,'
yott'kave ib Iktle Nfws, that yon do not know what t»
write. Now, affiire yoorfelf, that whofoever has a Mind
-ifeo write mayiind Ldfare for it : And for yonr other
Pfetence» it looks as if weoucfelves were the leaft Part of
«iir own Bnfineft. Put the Caie that the whole World
were becaknedy and that there wicre neither Wart,
Amours, Pa^ions, Befigns, Difiippomhnents, .Competi-
eors, or Law-fuits ^ no Prodigals, QFfurers, or Fornicator*
in Natare, there would be a large Field yet left for the
Oflices ofFriendihip, and for the Exereife of Philo^phy
atid Virtne. Let tis rather conirder, what we ourfelves
Ottght to do, thsn hearken :cfter die Dom^s of other
Feoplc. What iignifies the St^ of our Netghboor^a
£fffors, to ttie reformmg of our own f Is it not a nsore
^lonous, and prOfitaUeSmployment, t6 write the Hiftory
iof PttviJence, than to Record the Ufbrpadon of amhi-'
^9us Princu'j and rather to celebrate the Bounties of
the Alaeiighty, than the Robberies of AUxaJkderf^ Nor
is BufineM any Excale for the Negle^, either of our
Studies, or of our Friends. Fir^ we continue our own
Bafinefs, and then -we increafe it : And inllead of
Lending, wie do whcHly give ooriefres «p to it, and hurit
lor colouraUe pretences of mif-fpenaing ovr Tim^,
But, J fay, thatwherever we are, 'or with whomfberer,
or howfoever employed, we have oiir Thoughts at
Liberty*

YotT have here drawn a long Letter from me; and if
yod find it tedioiu$» you may thiank yourfelfa for calltilg
«po» me -fO'be aa good as my WonL 'Not bot that i

988 EPISTLE S«

write by Inctiaation too. For if we love the Pictures
of oor Friends, by^ what Haad foever they be drawn.
How mach more th'en ihafl we joy in a Friend's Letters,
which are undoabtedly the mpfl lively Piftures of one
another f It is a Shame, yon will fay, to {land in need of
sny Remembranoers of an abfent Friend ; mA yet fome-
times die Place, a Scnrant, a Reladon, a Houfe, a Gir-
flient, may honeftly excite the Memory ; and it renders
every Thing as frelh to as, as if we were Hill joined in
our Embraces, and drinking up one another's Tears. *Jt
is by the Benefit of Letters, that abfent Friends are in a
Manner brought together $ befide that, Epifiolary DiJ-
C9ur/is are much more profitable than public, and pre-
meditated DeclamatiQn.s. For they infinuate themfelves
into the Affe^ions wich more Freedom,, and £fied»
though with lefs Pomp, and Pretence. You do exped,
perhaps, that I ihould tell you, how gentle and fhort a
Winter we have had ; how cold and unfeafonahle a
Spripg, or fomc other Fooleries, to as .little Purpofe. But,
what are. you and I the better for fuch Difcourfes ? We
ihould rather be laying the Foundations of a good Mind ;
and learning to, diiUoguiih betwixt the Bleifings of Vir-
tue, and the Amarements of Imagination. There came
in fome Friends to me Yefterday, that made the Chimney
imoke a little niore than ordinary ;. but not at a Rate to
make the Neighbourhood cry out Fire. We had Variety
of Difcourfe^ and .paffing from on,e Thing to another,
we came at lafl. to fead. fonietlMQg of ^intus Sextim :
(a great Man>, upon my Credit, .*deny it. that will) Good.
God! the Force .and. Vij^our of .that. iS/Ja'n's Writings'^
and how much are> they abpve. the common Level of
other. Philofophers ! I cannot read them, methinks, with-
out challenging of Fortune, and defyiag all the Powers
of Ambition and Violence. The more I coofider him,
tlie.more I admire him:; ^Qi* X fiocl him, (as ia the World
itfplf ) ^*ii^ry X)f(y^ Xo. |:if> a ^pcnp ^^fie^Uy. and to afford
?re(h. J^ftjrer M ^r .mpne-V^fH^^^^p^ And yet. the
yYifdon? pf ;our,(For9Effthers Jia&.left-fjyotjcepough for
their Poftcrity ; even if there were "no more in it than ttie
Application of wh^ they harv); tr^i^tted' to us of t^eh*
own Jnvcntion; . A^, fuppofe,.,thfit.they had left us Ke-
^lediesfpr /ucji anfi p^ph Difipaf^^^' '{o;^rtaiji, that., we

L

E P I S T li E S, ^89

ihcmld not need to look for any other Medicines; there
^ouid be fome Skill yet required in the applying of
them^n the proper Cafe, Proportion, and Seafon. I have
an Hononr for the Memorials of our worthy Pro€;enitors>.
If I meet a Con/ul or a Preetor upon the Road, I will
alight from my -Horfe, uncover my Head, and give him
the Way ; and fliall \ have no Veneration now for the
Names oftbe Governors of Mankind? No Man is fo
wife, as to know all Things ; or if he did, one wife
Man may yet 'be helpfaV to another, in finding out a
nearer Way to the finishing of his Work : For, let a
Man make never ib much Haile, it is fome Sort of Af*
ntlance, the bare ancouraging of him to continue his
CouHe ; befidethe Comforts, and Benefits of Commnni'-
tation, in loving, and being beloved, and in the mutual
/Approbation of each other.

The laft Point, yon know, that yon and 1 had in De«
bate, was, Whithtr or no fVifdcm may be pirfe3ed by
Precept* There are fome, that account only thiit Part
of Fhilofiphy to be pro£tab]e to Mankind, which delivers
itfeirin particular Precepts to particular Perfons, without
forming the whole Man : Teaching the Hufband (for the
Purpofe) how to behave hirafelf to his Wife : the Father
how to train op, and difcipline his Children ; and the
Mafter how to govern his Servants. As if any Man
could be fttfiiciently inftru£ted in the Parts of Life, with-
out comprehending' the whole Sum, and Scope of It.
Others (as j^riflo the Stoult) are rather for the general
Decrees of Philofophers ; which whofoever knows in the
main, that Perfon undcrltands in every Particular how
to tutor himfelf As he that learns to call a Dart, whea
he has by Practice and Exercife, gotten a true Aim, he
not only will ftrike this or that Mark, bat whatever he
has a Mind to : 60 he that. is well informed in the wMet
will need no Diredion in the Parts^ hut under the Prin*
ciples of a good Life, learn how to 'behave himfelf in
all the Circumftances of it. CUanthes allows the Pa-r
ranetic or Precepti've Phihfofhy^ to be in fome Sort pro-
fitable ; but yet v^ery fhort, and defeflive, unlefs as it
flows from the univerfal Underllanding of the Heads
and Degrees of Philrfophy, Now the QuefHon is, whe-
ther this alone can make a good Man, and whether it

O

tt90 EPISTLES.

he fttperfluoas ttfelf ; or (o fuifident, as to make all other
Knowledge appear fo } Tbey that will have it faperfiu-
ous, argue thos. if the Eyes be coyered, there is no
feeine, without removing die Impediment; and in that
Cond'tion, it is to no Purpof; to bid a Man go to foch
or fuch a Place, or to reach this or that with bis Hand.
And fo ic fares with the Mind ; ^fo long as that continues
clouded with Ignorance and Error, ic is idle to give par-
ticular Precepts ; as if you (hould teach a poor Man to
«d the Part of a rich ; or one that is hungry, how to be-
have himfelf with a full Stomach : While the one is ne-
ccfStousy and the other half Harved, they are neither of
them the better for it. And then, (hall we give Precepts
in mani/efi Cojes^ or in doubtful? The former need none,
and in the latter we (hail not be believed. Nor i» it
enough fimply to advif^, unit (s we alfo give Reaibns for
It. There are two Errors- which we are liable to in this
Cafe ; either the Wickedncfs of pcrverfe Opinions,
which have taken PoiFeilion of us ; or at lead a Difpofi-
tion to entertain Error, under any Refemblance of Truth.
So that our Work muft be, either to cure a fick Mind,
that is already tainted ; or to prepoilefs an evil Incltna-
t»n, before it comes to an ill Habit Now, the Degrees
of Philo/opby enable us in both thefe Caits. Nor is it
poffible, by Particulars, to obviate all particular Occa-
iloni. One Man marries a Widow, another a Maid :
She may be rich, or poor, barren, or fruitful : young,
or ancient ; fuperior, inferior, or equal. One Man fbl-
lows public Buiineis, another flies it ; ib that the (ame
Advice that is profitable to the one, may be miA:hievous
to the other. Every one's is a particular Cafe, and muH
be fuited with a particular Counfel. The Laws of Phi-
hfofhy are brief, and extend to all : but the Variety of
the other is incomprehenfible, and can never make that
good to all which it promifes to a few. The Precepts of
Wifdom liis open, but the Degrees of it are hidden in
the Dark.

•' Now, in Anfwer, it does not hold, with the Mind, as
with the F.ye : If there be a SufFufion, it is to be helped
by Remedy, and not by Precept. The Eye is not to be
taught to diilinguifh Colours; but the Mind mufi be in-
formed what to ^Q in Life. And yet the Phyfician will
6

E P f S T L E S. 29t

prefcribe Order alfo to the Patient, as well as Phyfxc ;
and tell him, T*0i muft bring y$ur Eyt to enJure the Light
by Degrtes ; have a Care of Studying upon a full Stomachy
ice We are told, that Precepts do neither extinguiQi
nor abate falfe Opinions in us of Good or Evil : And it
fliall be granted, that of themfelves they are notable to
fubdiie vicious Inclinations : But this does not hinder
them from being very ufeful to us in Conjundlion with
other Helps* Firft, as they rcfrefli the Memory ; and
Secondly, as they bring us to a more diflinfl View of the
Parts, which we fa w but confufedly in the whole. At
the fame Rate, Confolatories, and Exhortations will be
found fuperfluous, as well as Precepts, «fhich yet upon
daily Experience we know to be otherwife. Nay, we
are the better, not only for the Precepts, but for the
<^onver(c of Philo/ophers^ for we ftill carry away fome-
what of the Tindlureof Virtue, whether we will or no :
But the deepeft Impreffion they make, is upon Children,
It is urged, that Precepts are infttfficient without Proof;
bat, I &y, that the 'vtry Authority of the Advifer, goes
a great Way in the Credit of the Advice : As we depend
upon the Opinion of the Lawyer, without demanding
his Reafon for it. And again, whereas the Variety of
Precepts is faid to be infinite, I cannot allow it. For
the greateft and mod neceffary Affairs are not many ; and
for the Application to Time, Places, and Perfons, the
DiflTerences are To fmall, that a few genifral Rules, will
ierve the Turn* Nay, let a Man be never fo right in his
Opinion, he may be yet more confirmed in it by Admo-
nition. T*here are mamr Things that may ailifl a Cure*
though they do not perfe£l it ; even Madmen themfeived
maybe kept in Awe by Menaces, and Corredlion. But
it is a hard Matter, t mull confefs, to give Counfel at a
Diilance. For Advice depends much upon the Oppor-
tunity ; and that perhaps which was proper when it was
deiired, may come to be pernicious before it be received*
Some indeed may be prcfcribed, as fome Remedies, at
any Diilance, and tranfmitted to Pollerlty but for othe/s,
a Man maft be upon the Place, and deliberate upon Cir^
cumftances, and be not only prefent, but watchful to
ftrike in with the very Nick of the Occafion.

O 2

Z9i EPISTLES.

EPISTLE V.

Seneca gms an Account of himfelf. Of his Studies^
and of his Inclinations .\ frith many excellent
RefUHicns upon the Duties^ and the Errors of hu-
man Life*

«

YOUR Letters were old, before they came to mj
Hand ; fo chat I made no Enquiry of the Meflcn-
ger what you were a-doing ; beHdes that, wherever yoo
ftre, I tafce it for granted, that I know yoar Bufinefs;
«nd that you are ftiU upon the great Work of perfe^iog
yoiirfclf : A Thing not to be done by Chance, but by
InduAry and Labour. We -are all of us wicked, before
we come to be good. We arc prepoiTefled, fo that we
vcmk unlearn Iniquity, and Hudy Virtue. The great^
J>ifHculty 18 to begin the Eoterjprize : For a weak Miod
is dfraid of new Experiments. I have now given over
troubling my feif for fear of yoo : becaufe I have that
Security for yonr well 'doing* that never failed any Man.
The Love of Truth and of Goodnefs, is become habitual
to you. Ic may fo fall out, that Fortane perhaps may
do you an Injury ; but there is no Fear of your doing
yourfelf one. Go on at you have begun, and compofe
your Refolations ; not to an effhninaCjS Eafe, but to a
Frame of virtuous Quiet. ItisadoubleKiadnefs that
you call me. to fo {trit\ an Accotsnt-of miy Time ; that
jioihing lefs than a Diary of my Life. will, fat is ^ you;
For I take it as a Mark, both of yotir good Opinion, and
of your f rtendfiiip ; the former in believing that I do
nothing which l.care to conceal ;- and the oiber ailtiring
yourfeU that I will make you the Confident of al! my
i>ecrets. I will hereafter fet a Watch upon atyfelf, and
do as you would have me: and acquaint yoo, not only
with the Courfe and Method, but with the very Bufme6
•f my Life.

This Day I have had entire to myfelf, without any
knocking at my Door, or lifting up. of the Hanging; ■
but 1 have divided it betwixt my. Bf)dk and my Bed, and
been left at Liberty to do m^ own Bufinefs : For all the

EPISTLES. 29J

fm pertinents were either at the ThfatTe,'at Bowls, or at
the Ilorferoatch. My Body does not require much Ex*
erciTe; and I am beholden to my Age for it : A little
makes me weary ; and that is the End alfo of that which
is md robuft. My Dinner is a Piece of dry Bread, with-
out a Table, and without fouling my Fingers. My Sleeps
are Ihort, and' in Truth a little doubtful, betwixt flum-
berin^ and waking. One while I am reflecting upon the
Errori of Antltpity ; and then I apply myfelf to the cor-
recting of my own. In ray Reading, with Reverence to
the Ancients, feme Things I take, others I alter ; and
foroe again 1 reject ; others I invent j without enthralling
inyfelf fo to another's Judgment, as not to preferve the
Freedom of my own. Sometimes of a fudden in the
IWfiddle of my Meditations, my Ears are ftruck witba
Shout of' a Thoufand People together, from fome Spec-
tacle or other ; the Noife does not at all difcompofe my
Thoughts ; it is no more to me than the Daihing of
Wives, or the Wind in a Wood 5 but poffibly fometimcs
It may divert them. Good Lord! (think I) If Men tjjould
hut exerci/e their Brains f as they do their 'Bodies j and
iake as much trains for Virtue^ as thej^ do. for Pleafure!
For Difficulties ilrengthen the Mind, as well as Labour
}!oes the Body.

/ You tell rt^e, (hat you want my Books more than my
Counfels; whicl^ I take juft as kindly^ as if youihould
have afked me for my Picture. For I have the very fame
Opinion of my Wit, that I have of my Beauty. You
Ihall have both the one, and the other, with my very
Self into the Bargain,*

In the Examination of my own Heart, I find fome
Vices that lie open ; others more obfcure, and out of
Sight ; and fome that take me only by Fits. Which la^
I look upon as the moft dangerous and troublefoine; for
they lie upon the Catch, and keep a Man upon a perpe-
tual Guard : Being neither provided againft them, as in a
State of War; .norfecure as in any AflUranceof Peace.
To fay the Truth, we. are all of us as cruel, as ambitious,
and as luxurious' as pur Fellows. But we want the For-
tune, or the Occafiop perchance, to fhew it. When the
Snake is frozen, it is fafe; but the Poifon is flill in ic
though it be numbed. We hate UpilartSi that ufe their

03

Z9i EPISTLES.

Power with Tnfolence ; when yet if we had the fame
Means', it is odds that we (hould do the iame Thing our*
i'rhes. Only our Corruptions are private, for want of
Opportunity to employ them. Some Things we look
upon as fuperfluous s and others, not as wor£ the while.
But we never confider, that we pay deareft for that which
we pretend to receive gratis. As Anxiety, Loft of Cre-
dit, Liberty, and Time. So cheap is every Man in efie&»
that pretends to be mod dear to himfelf. Some are dipt
in their Lulls, as in a River ; there rouft be a Hand to
help them out : Others are drangely carelefs of good
Counfei ; and yet well enough difpofed to follow fix-
ample. Some again mu(t be forced to their Duties, be-
caufe there is nb Good to be done upon them by Perfua-
fion. But, out of the whole Race of Mankind^ how
few are there that are able to help them/elves ? Being
thus confcious of our own Frailty, we (hould do well to
keep ourfelves quiet ; and not to trud weak Minds with
Wine, Beauty, or Pleafure ; we have much ado, you fee,
to keep our Feet upen dry Ground : What will become
of us then, if we venture ourfelves where it h flippery ?
It is not to lay, T^ij is a hard LeffoHy ar.d nue atnnBt g9
through nvitb it. For we r«/r, if we would mdeawour iti
but we canH'itf because we give it for granted that we
(annot, without trying whether we can or no. And' what
is the Meaning of all thib ; but that we are pleafed with
.our Vices, and wiiling to be madered by them? So that
we had rather excufe'chan call them off. 1 he true Rea-
fon is, we iv/// not ; but the Pretence is that vvc cannot.
And we are not only under <a NtccJ^ty of Error, but the
very Lcim of it.

To give you now a Brief of my own Charafter, I am
noneof thofe that take Delight in Turn alts« and in flrug-
gling with Difiiculties. 1 had rather be quiet, than in
Arms : For, I account it my Duty to bear up againfl ill
Fortune : but (lill without chufing it. I am no Friend to
Contention ; efpecially that of the Bar : But I am very
much a Servant to all honeil BuHnefs, that may be done
in a Corner. And there ii no Retreat fi> unhappy as not
to yield Kntertainment for a great Mind; by which a
Mart may make himfeif profitable Both to his Country,
and to his Friends, by his Wifdom/by his Intereft, and

EPISTLES. 29J

hy his Counfel. It is the Part of a good Patriot to pre-
fer Men of Worth ; to defend the Innocent ; to provide
gcxxi Laws ; and to advife in War and in Peace. Bur is
not be a eood Pairioty that inftrnfts Youth in Virtue ;
and fami£es the World with Precepts of Morality, and
keeps huoDan Nature within the Bounds of right Reafon ^
Who is the greater Man, he that pronounces a Sentence
upon the Bench, or he that in his Study reads us a
Leflureof Juilice, Piety, Patience, Fortitude; the Know-
ledge of Heaven,' the Contempt of Death, and the Blei^
iuig of a good Confcience ? The Soldier that guards the
Ammunition and the Baggage, is as neceflary as he thac
lights the Battle. Was not Cato a greater Example than
either U^yffes or Hercules ? They had the Fame, yoi*
know, oi being indefatigable; Defpiiers of Pleafure,
and great Conquerors, both of their Enemies, and of
xhtit Appetites. But CW0, I mnft confefs, had no En-^
coancers with Mongers ; nor did he fall into thofe Times
of Credulity, when People believed, that the Weight of
the Heavens refted upon one Man's Shoulders. But he

frappled with Ambition, and the unlimited Defire of
ower ; which the whole World, divided under a Trium*
vtrate^ was not able to /atisfy. He oppofed himfelf to^
the Vices of a degenerate City ; even when it was now
finking under its own Weight. He Hood Angle, and
iiipported the falling Commonwealth, till at laft, as in-
feparable Friends, they were crufhed together : for neither
would Caio furvtve the public Liberty ; nor did that
Liberty ouC>live Cato» To give you now a further Ac-
count of myfelf : 1 am naturally a Friend to all the Rules;
9nd Methods of Sobriety and Moderation. I like the
old*faihioned Plate that was left me by my Country Far-
ther : It is plain and heavy ; and yet for all this, there is;
• a Kind of dazzling, methinks, in the OAentatioos of
Spkndor and Luxury. But it ^rikes the Eye more tbift
the Mind ; and though it may ihake a wife Man, it can*-
pot aker him. Yet it fends ae home many Times fad*
der, perhaps, than 4 went out ; but yet, I hope, not:
worie ; though not without ibme fecret Di(&tisfa£tion at
my own Condition.- Upoa the(e Thoughts I betake my««
fkV to my Fhihjhphif ; and then, methinks, I am not welL
onleis 1 put mylielr into fome public Employment : Not:

04

1

296 B P I 'ST l: b S;

for theHoQOQr, or the Profit of it; but odytd place
myfelf in a Station where I may be ferviceable to my
Country, and to my Friends. But when I ccme, on the
other Side, to confider the Uneafineis, the Abufe?, and
the Lofs of Time that attends public Afiairs, I get me
home again as fad as I can ; and take up a Refoiution ot
ipending the Remainder of my Days \\ithin the Privacy
of my own Walls. How great a Madne(s is- it to fet
our Hearts upon Triflc»; efpecially to the Negied of
the moft ferioui Offices of our Lives, and the moil im«
portant End of our Being ? How miferable, as well a»
ihort is their Life, that oompais with great LabooTy what
ihey pofTefs with greater; and hold with Anxiety, what
they acquire with Trouble ? But, we are governed in all
Things by Opinion^ and every Thing is to us as. we be-
lieve it. What is^ Po*vifrty^ but a Priwuive ; and not
intended fj£ what a Man iaj, bat of that which he ha»
not f The great Snbjed of human Calamities, is Ateaejf.
Take all the reft together, as Death, Sicknefs, Fear,
Deflre, Pain> Labour ; and thofe which proceed fhrni
Moue^ exceed them all. it is a wonderful Folly, that of
Tumblers, Ropc>dancers, Divers ; what Fains they take,-
and what Hazard they ruii, for an; inobnfiderable Gain I*
And yet we have not Patience for the thou£uidtk Parted
that Trouble, though it would put us into the I^ofi^bn
of an everlafting Quiet. Efkurus^ for Experitnent-fake,
confined himfelf to a narrower Allowance, than that ct
the fevered Prifons to the moft capital Ofieoders ; and
found himfeJf at £afe too in a ilridler Diet, than a Man
in .the worft Condition needs, to fear. This was to pre-
vent Fortune, and tofniflrate the worft which (he can do.
We ihould never know any Thing to be fuperfinon^, but
by the Want of it. How many Things do we provide,,
only becauie others have them for Faihion^^fake ? Ca/hu- -
/a offered Dtmftrius five Thouiand Crowns, who rejeded
them with a Smile, as who ihould fay, // *wms/o little, it
did him n§ Honour th$ refufiag of it. Nothing le/sj ixfs he,
thaM the Offer of his 'whole Empire ^ ivould ha*oe heen
temptation to ha'oo tried the Firmnffs of mjf Virtue^ By
this CoKtempt oi Riches, is intended only th€ fearlefs
Foflefiion of them. And the way to attain that, is tof
pccfuade oa^felves, that we may live ha^ftily widiouc

E P I S T L t S. 297

them. How many of thofe Things, which Realbn for-
merly told as were faperfluoas, and mimical, do we now
find to be fo by Experience ? But we are mifled by the
Cojinterfeit of Good on the one Hand, and the Sufpi-
cion of Evil on the other. Not that Richei are an effici-
ent Caufe of Mifchicf ; but they arc a precedent Caufe,
by way of Irritation, and Attradion. For they have fj
near a Refemblance of Good, .that moft People take
them to be good. Nay, Virtue itfelf is alfo a precedent
Caufe of Evit ; as many are envied for their Wifdom,
or for their Juftice : Which does not arife from the
Thiog itfelf, but from the irreprovable Power of Vir-
tue, that forces all Men to admire, and to love it. That
is not gco^, that is mo^r advantageous to us, but that which
is off/y fo.

E P I S T L E yi.

!n&<f BUJJings cf a virtuous Retirement. How w$
crme td the Knowledge of Virtue, A DiJiinSiion
betwixt Good and Honejh A wife Man contents
bimfelf with his Lot.

THERE is no Opportunity efcapes me, of enquiring
where you are, what you do, and what Company
yoi4 keep : And I am well enough pleafcd that I can hear
pothing concerning you ; for it (hews that you live re-i
tired* Not but that 1 A\it& truft you with the wide
World too : But, however, it is not eafy fuch ai general
Converfation : Nor is it ablblutely Mc neither ; fori,
tfiough it fliould not corrupt you, it would yet hinder
you. Now wherefoever you are, kno\^', that I am with
you ; and you are fo to live, as if I both heard and faw
you. Your Letters arc reaHy Bleffings to me, and the
Senfe of your Improvements relieves me, even under the
Confideration of my own Decay. Remember, thz^t as \
am old, fo are you mortal. Be true to yourfelf, and ex-
amine jourfelf, whether you be of the fame Mind To-
3ay,. that you were Yellerday ; for that is a Sign of per-
feet Wifdom. And yet give toe leave to tell you, that

«99 EPISTLES.

though Change of Mind be a Token of Imperfection ; it
is the BuTincfs of my Age to unwil one Day, that which
I willed another. And let me recommend ic to your
Practice too, in many Cafes ; for the Abatement of our
Appetites, and of our Errors, is the bed Entertainment
of Mankind. It is for young Men to gather Knowledge,
and for old Men to ufe it: And aiTure yoarfelf^ that no
Man gives a fairer Account of his Time, than he that
makes it his daily Study, to make himfelf better. If you
be in Health, and think it worth your while to become
the Mifter of yourfelf ; it is my Defire, and my Advice,
that you apply yourfelf to Wifdom with your whole
Heart : And juJge of your Improvement, not by what
you fpeak, or by what you write; but by the Firmnefs
of your Mind, and the Government of your Paffions.
What Extremides have fome Men endured iii Sieges;
even for (he Ambition and Intereil of other People ! And,
ihall not a Man venture the croffing of an intemperate
L»(l, for the Conqueft of himfelf? You do very well to
betake yourfelf to a private Life; and better yet^ in
keeping of that Privacy private. For, otherwise, your
Retreat would look like Oflentation : The greateii Ac-
tions of our Lives are thofe that we do in a Kece(s from
fiufinefs : Befides, that there arefbme Governments, and
Employments, that a Man would not have any Thing to
do witha). And then it is to be confidered, that public
Offices and Conimlfiaons are commonly bought with our
Money ; whereas the great Bleilings of Leifure and Pri-
vacy cofl us nothing. Contemplation is undoubtedly
the bell Entertainment of Peace ; and only a (hotter Cut
to Heaven i:felf : Over and above that, Bufinel* makes
us toubleibrne to otheis, and unquiet coourielves; for,
thaiLid of one Appetite, or Defign, is the Beginning of
another. To (ay nothing of the Expcnce of Time in
vex.ttious Attendances, and the Danger'of Competitors.
Such a Man, perhaps, has more Friends at Court than I
have ; a larger Train, a fairer Eftate, more profitable
Offices, and more iihiftrious Titles. But, what do I care
to be overcome by Men, in fome Cafes, fo loag as Fok/uju
is overcome by me in all? Thefe Confiderations fhoald
hcivc been earlier ; for it is too late in the Article of
Death, to projeft the Happxnefs of Life. And yetthetc

EPISTLES.

ag^r

is no Age better stdafKed to Vlrtoe, than that whicb
comes by many Experiments, and long Sufferings, to the-
Knowledge of it : For pur Luils are then weak, and our
Judgment ftrong ; and Wifdom is the Effect of Time.

boM£ are of Opinion, that we come to the Knowledge
of Virtue by Chance ; (which were an Indignity.) Others
by Obfervation, and comparing Matters of Padt one v/hh
another; the Underilanding, by a, K\nd of /fna*ogy s^p^
proving this, or that, for good and honeft. Thelb are
two Points, which others make whoLiy diti^erent ; but the
Stoi€ks only divide them. Some will have every Tk^ng-
to be good, that is beneficial to ui : As Money, Winef.
and fo lower, to the meaneil Things we ufe. And they
reckon that to be honeft, where there is a reaicnable
JDifcharge of a common Duty : As Reverence to a Pa*
rent i Tendernefs to a Friend ; the Expofing of ourfclvei'
fox our Country, and tbt Regulating of oar Lives ac*
cording to Moderation and Prudence. The SuicAs rec-
kon them to be two ; but fo as to make thefi tivOf yet,
oat of »ne. They will have nothing to be good, bat:
what is honeft ; nor any Thing to be honeft, ^at that
w^ich is good : So .that in ibme Sort they are mixed, and
infeparable. There are ibme Things that are neiiher
good, nor bad ; as War, Embafty, Ju.ildiflion : But thefe,.
In the laudable Ad mini il ration of them, .do, of doubtful,
become good ; which Good is onlya Conf quent upon
Honefty : But Honefty is good in itfclf^ and the other
Aows from it. There are (ome Actions that ieem to us>
Matter of Benignity, Humanity, Geoerofity, Reiblution;^
which we are apt to admiie, as perfect : And yet. upom
farther Examination, we find that great \'ices were coo--
cealed nnder the Refembtances of eminent Virtues. G.o-
rious Afkions are the Images of Virtue : but yet nuny
Things feem to be good, that a e evil ;. and evil, that are:
good: And the Skill is td diftinguiih betwixt Things,
that are So mack aiike in Shew, and fo difagreeing m;
£Sf£l. Wc are led to the Underftanding of Virtue by
the Congruity we find in fuch and I'uch Adions to i^ atur^,.
and right Reaibn : By the Order, Grace, and Conftancy
of them ; and, by a certain Majefty and Greatness, that
farpaifes all other Things, From henceproceeds^a hap-
py Lifie; to which nothing comes amiiS^ but, on ih4».

#0 6

30O ^PlSTtt&.

contrs^, every Thing fuc^^eds to our very WHh. There

18 no wrangling with Fortune; no being out of Humottr

' lor Accidents ; wbfttfoever befals me in my Lot» and

whether in AppearaAcd it be good or bad, it is Gcd's

• Pleafure ; and it ib my Duty to bear it. When a Man
has once gotten a Habit of Virtue, all hts Actions are
equal : He is conftantly one and the fame Man ; and be
<does wel]| not only upon Couniel, bat out of Cuiloni
too. Shall I tell you now, in a word, the Sum of hu-
man Duty ? Patience, where we are to fufFcr ; and Pru'
ilence, in Things we do. It is a frequent Con>pla:nt in
the World, that the Things we enjoy arc but few, tran-
fitory, and uncertain ; fo ungrateful a Conftru<5tion do
wft make of the Divine Bflfunty. Hefice it is, that we
are neither willing to did, nor oorirented to live ; be-
twixt the Fear of the olie»'and Deteffetiovi- of thfe other.
Hence it is that we ar^ perplKttaDy fhifUlig of Counfelsi
and ftill craving of more ; becauife that which ue caM
Felicity, is not able to hW u«. And whafiff the Reaibff,

' but that we are not yet come to that immenfe and info*-
parable Good, which leaveV us nothing fafthcr to defiret
In that blefled E^ate we ftcl no W^a^it 5 w6 are abondant^
ly pleafed with what we have ; and what we have nof,
we do not regard ? (<i that every Thing il great, becauft
it is fofficient. If we quit this Hold, there vwil beuo
Places for the Offices of Faith and ?iety : In the Dif^

' charge whereof we muft both fiifFcr mafly TWngs, that
the World calls evil ; and pan with mafny Things, which
arc commonly accounted good; True Joy is everkftfng-,
Pleafores are falfe, artd fugitive. It is a'gfe^t Encoiirage-

' ment to ivell-'doingi that when we are once -in the Poi^

* feffion of Virtue, it is our own f<lr feV€#. While! fpeak
this to yon, I prefer ibe to myfelf ,' what I wrke, I rtadj
and reduce all my Meditations tto the OWeHng; of roy
own Manners. There is nothiiig fo mean and ordinary,
but it is illuftrated by Virtue ; ahd Externals arte of no
more life to it, than the Light of ii Candle to the Glory
of the Son. * *-'* ' ' ' \ '

It is often objcfted to me, that I ad^ie Wople to quit
the World, to retire, and content thentfelv^s with a good
Confcience. But what becomes of-yoAr-Pr^epts theftv
(fay they) that enjoin us to die m h^ion f -To' whim, I

~E PI S T L ES. jtsri

mufft anfwcr, That 1 am never m-^re in A^hn^ than^nx^ei$
I am alone in my Study •, njuhtre I ba<vt iniyl^Jud ttp^my*
Jeff in pri<uatey to attend the Bujine/s of the Public, I
eio not hfe fo m^th as one Day ; nay, and Part of the
Night too^ I Borro^v for my Book* l^hen my Eyes *wili
Jifue me no longer^ 1 fall afieep \ and till then 1 nuork^
1 have retired fny/elf^nfft mly from Men;, hkt from Buji'
nefs nlfii ojfd my o^ny in the fitft. Plaee^ to attend the
Service ofPofentyy in hope that nvhat I nonxj nvrite, may^
in Jome. Meafure^ be profitable to future Generations.

But it is no new Tning, I know, to calumniate Vir-
tue, and good Men, /be] fit^ Eyes wiJ-tnot endure the
Light; but, like Birds of Nighty they fly from it into
tWRV H<rt*$v Wfcy -do^s fuchva Man- talk fo. inwrh of hi^
Fhilnfphy, and.yetim in M^niiicQrice? Qf contemning
Riches, Life, Healt)i : and yet cherifli and maintaia
jthcm,' withr th'e.gi^rtleft GaceiiiiBginable? Bamiftraent,
•he Aiys, »s but an idle Name; and yet he can grow old
within his own Walls. He' puts no Difference betwixt
a long VStyiZcA a (bort ; and yet he fpins oiat his Qwn^
AS ^r as \t. will go. T he. Thing- is this, he does not
cohtemfa.tempoJtary Bleffings fb a$ tq refufe, or drive
them^a^Vay; . but if they come, they are welcome; If
not,. he wffl never bl-eak his Heart for.thc Want of theme
JHe takes them into his Houfe*, not imo his Soul ; and
he makes ufe of them, only as Matter for his Virtue tp
work upon.. There \& np Doubt Jbu^a wife Man may
fliew himlelf better, in Riches, than in Poverty : That i>
la ^i^r, his Temperance, his' Libera]it;yy his Magnigcence,
Pwjvideiice,' Jirid Pi^udtnc^, will be, more C(;nfpicuout«
He will be a wife Man ftill, if he ihould want a Leg or
an Arm ; but yet he had rather be perf€<5l. \^qv%
:p]eaftd with Weakh, as be would, be at Sea, with a fair
Wind, or with a Glance of the warm Sun in a frofly
•Morning: So that the Things which we call indifferent^
are ootyet without their Value; aod^Tome greater than
fithers. But, 'With this Difference betwixt the Phthfophers
and the commim Peopler Riches are the Servants of the
one, and the Mailers of the other. Frpm the one, if
they depart, they carry away nothing but themfelves;
but from the other, they take away the very Heart and
Feace of the Poieflbr wxo% with them. It u true> that

302 .EPISTLES.

if I might have my Choice, I would have Health, and
Strength ; and yet if I come to be vifited with Pain, or
SickneTs^ I would endeavour to improve them to my
Advantage* by making a right Judgment of them ; as I
ought to do of all the Appointments of Providence.
So that as they are not good in themfelves, neither are
they evil ; but Matter of Exercife for our Virtues ; of
temperance, on the one Hand, and of Keiignation, on
|he other.

EPISTLE Vn.

OfimpfrtiiuntStudiis^ and impertinent Men^ Pbi^
IJophirs the btjt Comf aniens,

HE that duly confiders the Buiinefs of Life and
Death, wil! find that he has l>tde Time to fyvt
from that Study : And yet Ko«v we tiifte away our Houif
npon impertinent Niceties and Cavils ! Will P/ato*s ima-
ginary Ideas makes mean honed Man ? There is neither
Certainty in them, nor Subflance. A Mt^fi is a Syilahit ;
hut a Syilahli dees npt eat Cheeje : therefore a Moufe ikes
not eat Cheefe. Oh \ thefe childifh Foilies ! Is it for this
that we fpend oar Blood, and our good Humour, and
grow grey to our Cloiets ? We are jefting, when we
ihould be helping the Miferable ; as well ourfclves as
others. There is no fporting with Men in Diftrefs The
Felicity of Mankind depends upon the Couni'el of Phi-
lofophers. Let us rather confider what Na ure has made
fuperfluoas, and what nece^ary : How eafy oor Condi-
tions are, and how delicious that Life, which is governed
by RcAfbn rather than Opinion. Inhere are impertinent
(itadies, as well as impertinent Men. Didymsu the
Grammatian wrote 4000 Books ; wherein h^ is moth
concerned to difcover where Homer was born ; who wat
jEneas*% true Mother ; and whether jfmetcreon was the
greater Whorcmafter or Drunkard : With other Foppe-
ries, that a Man would labour to Ibrget, if he knew
them. Is it not an important Qaeftion,. which of the
two was firft, the Mallet or the Tongs ? Some People
are extremely inquifitive to knpw how many Oan Vljfu

E P I S T L' E S.

30J

badi Which was iirft written, the Uia3 or the OiyJfy\
or if they were both done by the fame Hand ? A Man is
never a Jot the more learned for this Curiotity, but much
the more troublefome. Am .1 ever .the more jud, the
more moderate, valiant, or liberal, for knowings that
Curius Dentatas was the firil that carried Elephants in
Triumph ? Teach me my Duty to Providence, to my
Neighbour, and to myfelf : To difpute, with Soaraies %
to doubt,' with Cameades ; to fet up my Reil, with Epi*
curus ; to mafier my Appetites, with the ^toich ; and to
renounce the World with the Cyme, What a Deal of
Buiinefs there is, firft, to make timer a Fbilofipher ; and
fbcondly, in what ClaJJis to range him ? One will have
him to be a Stoickf a Prieqd to Virtue, and an Enemy to
Pleafure ; preferring Honefty even to Immortality itfelf-
Another makes him an Epicurean ; one that loves his
Quiet» and to fpend his Time in good Company : Some
are pofitive in it, that he was a Peripatetic ; and others,
that he was a Sceptic. But it is clear, that in being all
thefe I'hings, he was not any one of chem. Theie di-
vided Opinions do not all hinder us from agreeing upon
the main, that he was a wife Man. Lee us therefore
apply ourfelves to thofe Things that made him fo, and
even let the rell alone.

It was a pleafant Humour of Cahicius Sabinus, a rick
Man, and one that managed a good Fortune with a very
ill Grace. He had neither Wit nor Memory ; but would
fain pafs fcTr a learned Man, and fo took federal into his
Family ; and whatfoever they knew, he aiTumed to him-
felf. There are a Sort of People that are never, well,
but at Theatres, Speflacles, and public Places ; Men of
Btt(ine(s, but it is only in their Faces $ for they wander
up and down without any Deiign ; like Pi/mires^ eager
and empty ; and every Thing they do is only as it bipi^
pens. This is an Humour, which a Man may call a kind
of relllefs Lazinefs. Others you fhall have, that are
perpetually in haHe, as they were crying Fire^ or ron-
nins; for a Midwife ; and all this Hurry perhaps only
to Slute fome Body that had no Mind to talte Notice of
chem ; or fome fuch trivial Errand. At Night, when
they come. Home tired and weary, a(k them why they
went out? wKere they have been? And> what they

564 E P I' S T L B S.

kave done ? Ii is a very flcnder Acxount that they are
able to give yoo ; and yet the next Day tkcy take the
fame Jaunt over again : This is a kind of fantaftiral In-
duftry,- a great Deal of Pains taken to naPhrpofc at all :
Twenty Vims made and no Body at home, (they them-
felves leaft of all : ) They that have this Vice, are com-
inortly Hearkentrs, Talc- bearers, News mongers. Med-
dlers in other People's Affairs, and curious after Secrets,
whkh a Man can neither fafely hear, nt>T report. Thefe
Men of idle Employment, that rmi up and dowif, eter-
nally vexing others, and thcmfdves too ; thatthraft them-
felves into adl Companies ; what do they get by it ? One
Man is aflecp, another is at Sapper, a third iff Company,
ft fourth m-Haftc, ai iifth gives them the Slip : and when
their Folly has gone the Round, they clofe op the Day
<vfih Shame ancf Repentance. WhereaTs, Zenoy Fphag-i-
?as, Deffr crifasi Aiift^tk^ Thecphrafius, and all the Pa-
trons of Phtlfophy^ and Virtue ;. they are always at Lei-
fore, and in good Hurootir; familiar, profitable; a Man
never comes away empty-handed from them ; but, full
of Comfort, and Satisfadlioit; they make ^11 paft Ages
pi-efcnt to OS,' or us their Contemporaries. The Door§
of thefe'Men are open, Night and Day; and in theif
Cpnverfation there is neither Danger, Treachery, not
E3tpirnce; but we are' fhe*wrf(^r, the happier, and the
richer fdr it. How WefTedly does a Man fpend his Time
jtf this Company, where he may advife in all the Dif^
ficulties of Lifef Here is Connfel without Reproach*
and' Praife without I'lattefy; We canntrt be the Chufers
of oqr own Parent^, bur of our Friends *we may ; and
kdcrpt ourfelvts' mto thofe noble Families. This is th^
Way of making Mortality in a Manner, to be immortal :
Th.e' Time* paft, we make to be our own, byRemem-
brande;; 'the preffent, by Ufe; and the future, by Provi-
dence, and Forefight. That only may properly be faid
tO" be ibng Life, that draws all Ages into one ; and that
a'ftorf one, that forgeis the paft, negl^dls the prefent,
and is folitilods for the Time to come. But it is hot
yet. fufBcient to know what PUt'o orZene faid, utflcYs we
make it' i\*l 6nr;own by Hahit^ and f^raSice, and improve
both thi^ World, and our felves, by. an Example 0/ Life
anfv^d-able t</ tfeir Precepts.

E' P I. S' T L^ ET s;^ 305

» . . . . , •

• • •

EPISTLE Vlir.
Agaitifi Sia^ukrity of Mantun and- Btbavitur.

I' T is the Humour of. many Peop1« to be Mg^nhr fit"
I tiieir:Drefs anJ Manofir of Life; obly. to the Eiid
thift ihsy may be taken notice, of. Theip Clothes, for-.
footh, muil be coarfe, and flavenly ; their Heads and
Beards negleded ; their Lodgings upon the Ground, and*
they h've in an open Defiance of Mon^y. What is all
this, upon the vviiole Matter, but an ambitious Vanky»
that has crept in at the Back door ? . A wife Mar> will
keep himfeif dearoof all thefe Fooleries, without di(l«rb-*
ing public Cuftoms, oe making hirofclf a Gazing -ftock^
to the People. £ut, will this iecure him, chink you?
lean np more warrant it, than that a temperate Man
fhail have his Health : But it is very probable that it
may.. A Fhilofapher haa enough- to ^do.to Hand right in
the World, let him be nev^er fo^ mbd^ : And his Out*^
£de (balibeliill like-tbat- of other People, let-them b»
narer fa ^v^ik/^mthifu His Garments ibaU bcneither
licb, noir fovdid. No: matter for ^rms, Mottos, and
other Cui^oities oppn his Plate 2 But he^fiial) not yet
make it a Matter of Confcience,- to- have 4M> Plate at all.
He that likes an earthen VcffQl as well as Silver, has
not a greater Mind than he that ufes Plate, and reckons
it asiDirt. it is our Duty to live better than the com-»
mon People, but nof in OppofitioiltO' them ; as if Phi^
h/op^yj^' were a Fa£lion ; for ' by fo doing,- inllead of
reforming, and gaining upon them, we drive them a>vay;
and whan they ^d ie unj^afonable to imitate us in al!
Things, they will follow us in^iothing. OurBulinefs
mud be to live according to Nature^ and to own the
Senfe of outward Things with other People : Not to tor"
jnent the Body 7 and, with Exiplamaiions againft that
which is fweet and cleanly, to delight in NaiVinefs ;
and to u(e> not only a coarfe,^ but ft fluttiih, ^nd-offi5a<i
five I>iet, Wi(dom preaches Temperance, not Mortifi-
eation j' and -a Man mdy be a Very good Hu(band, wi'ch^
out being a Sloven. He that 9ittn a middle Cimrie^

3o6 BPISTLES.

betwixt Virtue and Popttlarity ; that is to (ay, betwixt
good Manners and Dilcretion, (hall gain both Approba-
tion and Reverence. But» what if a Man governs him-
ielf in his Cloaths, in his Dier» in his Exercifes as he
oufht to do ? It is not that his Garments^ his Meat, and
Drink» or his Walking, are Things fimply good ; but it
is the Tenor of a Man's Life i and the Conformity of it
to Nature, and right Reafon. Pbik/ophf lybliges us to
Httfflanityy Society* and the ordinary \i(Q of external
Things. It b not a Thing to pleafure the People with,
or to entertain an idle Hour ; but a Study for rite form-
ing of the Mind, and the Guidance of human Life»
And a wife Man (hould alfo live as he difcourfes, and
in all Points be like himfelf, and in die firft Place^
fet a Value upon himfelf before he can pretend to
become valuable to others. As well our good Deeds, as
our evil, come home to us at lali ; he that is charitabie*
makes others fb by his Example, and finds the Com«
fbi t of that Charity when he wants it himfelf. He that
is cruel, feldom finds Mercy. . It is a hard Matter for a
Man to be both popular, and virtuous; for he muft be
like the People that would oblige them ; and the Kind*
nefs of diflioaeft Men is not to be acquired by honeft
Means. He lives by Reafon, not by Cpftom ; he (bans
^e very Converfation of the Intemperate, and Ambiri-
ous. He knows the Danger of great Examples of
Wickednefs, and that public Errors impofe upon the
)Vorld under the Authority of Precedents ; for they take
for granted, that they are never out of the Way fo ioag
as they keep the Road.

We are befet with Dangers ;- and therefore a wife
Man ihould have his Virtues in a continual Readmefs to
encounter them Whether Poverty, Lofs of Friends,
Pains, Si^knefs, or the like ; he dill maintains hib Poft:
Whereas a Fool is furpiifed at every Thing, and afraid
of his- very Succours : Either he m-kes no Refinance at
alU or elfe he does it by Halves. He will neither take
Advipe from others, nor look to himfelf: He reckons
upon Philc/opfy, as a Thing not worth his Time ; and if
he can but get the l^eputarion of a good Man among
the. common People, he takes no further C^e» but ac«
foxiats^that he has ({onj( his Duty.

EPISTLES. ^of

E P IS T L E IX.

TJ&^ BkJJings of a vigomus Mind^^ in a decayed
Body ; with fime pertinent Rjfie&ions of Seneca
upon his ewn Age*

WHEN I call Claranus my School-fellow, I need
not fay any Thing more of his Age, having told
you, that he and I were Contemporaries. You would
not imagine, how green, and vigorous his Mind if, and
the perpetual ConfliA that it has with his Body. They
were naturally ill-matched ; unlefs to ihew, that a gene-
rous Spirit may be lodged under any Shape. He has
{urmounted all Difficulties ; and, from the Contempt of
himfelf, is advanced to the Contempt of all Things elfe.
When I confider him well, methinks his Body appears
to me as fair as his Mind. If Nature could have brought
the Soul naked into the World, perhaps (he would have
done it t But. yet ffae does a greater Thing, in exalting
that Soul above all impediments of the Flefii. * It is a
great Happinefs, to prcfeire the. Force of the Mind, in
the Decay of the Body j and to fee the Lofs of Appetite
more than requited with the Love of Virtue. But,
whether I owe this Comfort to my jige^ or to Wifdom^
is the Queftion. And whether, if I could any longer, I
wou'd not do ftill the fame Things over again, which I
ought not to do. If Age had no other Pleafure than
this, that it neither cares for any Thing, nor flands in
need of any Thing ; it were a great one to mc, to have
left all my painful and troublefome Lulls behind me.
But, // // uneafyf you will fay, to he airways in Fear of
Death. As if that Apprehension did not concern a
young Man as well as an old ; or that Death only calle(f
Us, according to our Years. I am however beholden to
my, old Age, that has now confined me to my Bed ; and
pot me out of Condition o^ doing thofe Things any longer,
which Ifhould «o/ do. The lefs my Mind has to do wiiH
my Body, the better. And if Age puts an end to my Dc-
'-fires, and does the Buiincfs of Virtue, there can, be no

g^ti EPISTLES.

Caufe of Complaint ; nor can there be any gent!cr End,
than to melt away in a kind of DHToIution. Where
Fire meets with Oppofition, and Matter to work apoo,
u is furious, and rages; but where it ^nds no Fuel, as
ill oM'Age, it goes oiit quietJy, for want oflNounfli-
ilicDtv 'Nor is the.Bed^ the fcttled HabitfttioR of the
Mind : but a temporary Lodging, which we are to -leave
whenfoever the Mafter of the Houfe pleafes. Neither
does the Soul, when it has left the Body, any moro
care what becomes of the Carcafc, and the feveral Parts
of it, than a Man does for the Shavings of his Beard
under the Hand of a Barter. There is iiot any Thing
that expofes a Man to more Vexation and Reproach^
than the overmuch Love of the Body : for Senfe nei-
ther looks forward, nor backward, but only upon the
prefent : Nor does it iudge of Good, or Evil; or fore,
fee Confequences, which give a Connejcion to the Or*
der, ai\d Series of Things, and to the Unity of Life.
Not but that every Man naa naturally a Love for hii
own Carcafe, as poor People love even their own beg-
garly Cottages ; they are old Acquaintances, and loch
to part : And I am not againft the indulging, of it nei<»
tber; provided* that l make not myfelf a Slave to it;
^or he that ferves it, h^as many Mafters. Be&le that,
we are in coiitinaal Dtforder: One while with Gripes,
Pains in the Head, Tooth- Ach, Gout, Stone, Defluxi-
dns ; fometimes with too much Blood, other while with
too little : Aiid yet this frail, and putrid Carcafe of ours,
yalues itfelf as if it were immortal. We put no Bounds
to our Hopes, our Avarice, our Ambrtion. The fame
Man is Vatinius to-day, and Cato to-morrow: This
Hour as luxurious as JpiciuSi and the next as tempe>
rate as Tuherio; Now, for a Miftrefs; by and by for a
Wife: imperious this Hour; fervile the next: thrifty,
and prodigal; laborious, and voluptuous by Turns. But
flill the Goods or the Ills of the Body do but concern
the Body (which is peevifli, four, and anxious) widi-
Qut any ^So^di upon a vvell-compofed Mind. I was the
pther Day at my Villa^ and complaining of my Charge
of Repairs; my Bailiff told me, // nwu none of hit
Fault 'p for tb$ Houfg <mas old^ and b$ had much ado to

EPISTLES. 309

ktep it from falliMg upom bit Head. Weli^ (thoaght J)
uml <what am I nyfelf tbiitt thu Janu ihe laying of thi
Jirfi StotifP Ir\ the Garden?, I fduod the Trees.as mach
oat of Order, the Boughs knotted, and withered, and
tbeir Bodies ov^r- run with MoTs. Th's mtouU not have
been (faid I) if you had trenchid them^ and ^watered
tbe'mj as you ou^ht to han^e done. By my ^oulj Mafter^
fays the poor Fellow, / have done n/obat I could: But^
idasl t^yey are all Dottards^ and f pent. IVhat am I then
(thoaght I to myfelO that planted all tbe/e Trees nuith
my pwn Hands ? And th^ I cooiQ to bethink inyfidF,
that Age itfelf is not yet without its Pkafures, if we did
but know, how to ufe th^em; ^nd that the he^ Morfel is
refervf d , for the laft : Or at worft, it is equivalent to
the CBpying of PleaAires, riot to iland in need of any.
It is but Yeit^erday otethinks that I went to School. But
Time goes /after with an- old Man, than with a young:
Perhapj becaufe he reckons -more upon it. There is hard-
ly any Man {o old, but be mty hope for one Day more
yet:- and the longeft Life: is but a Multiplication of
'D^iff^i, Da,y of Hours, nay tof Moments. Our Fate is
iet» and the firft Breath we draw is* but the firft Step
towards our, lad. One Caafe depends upon another;
and. the Courfe of all Things, public and private, is only
a long Connexion of providential Appointments. There
is great Variety in our Lives; Ixitall tends to the fame
liTue^ Nature may ufe her own Bodies as fhe pleafes :
hut a good Man has this Confdation, that nothing pe«
~ riihes that he can call his own. What mufi ht, /hall bti
and that which is a Neceffity to him that ilroggles, is
ikcle more lYiznCheiceXQ him that is willing. It u bittsr
to be forced to any Thing ; b^^Things are eafy, when
they are complied with.

31* 2 P I S T L B S.

EPISTLE X.

CuJIom is a great Matter^ e'ther m Godd. 9r III. Wt
Jhcu^d chick ofir Pajfiom betimes. Involwttary Mt-
tms an invindtle,

TH E k E is nothing To hard, bat Caflom makes h
eafy to os. There are fome, that never laaghed ;
others, that wholly abllain from Wioe, and Women,
and almoft from Sleep. Moch ufe of a Coach makes
us \ofe the Benefit of cor Legs : So that we mu(| be in-
firm to be in the Fafhion; and, at laft, lo^e the very
Faculty of walking, by dtfufing it. Some are fb
plunged in Pleafures, that they cannot live without them.
And, in this,- they are moft miferable ; that what was,
at ^rfi, bat JuperJluQui^ is n§vj become necejfary. Bat
their Infelicity feems to be then confummate, and in-
curable, when Senfuality has laid hold of the judgment;
and Wickfdnefs is become a Habit. Nay, ^me there
are, that both hate, and periecute Virtue ; and that is
the laft A£k of De^eration. Jt is much eaiier to check
our Pafliona in the Beginning, than to (lop them in their
Coor/e; for, if Reaibn could not hinder us at firft,
chey will go on in Defpite of us. The Sf&icAs will not
allow a wife Man to have any Paffions at all. The
Peripatetics temper them ; but that Mediocrity is al*
together falfe, and unprofitable. And it is all one, as
if they faid, That we may be a Utile maS^ or a UttU
fick, if we give any fort of Allowance to Sorrow, Fear,
Deiires, Perturbations, ^ it will not be in our Power to
reftrain them. They are fed from abroad, and will in-
creafe with their Cauies. And if we yield never fb
little to them, the leaft Diforder works upon the*whole
Body. It is not my Purpofe all this while, wholly to
take away any Thiiig, that is either necefTary, beneficial,
or delightful to human Life; but, to take that away,
which may be vicious in it. When I forbid yoq to de-
fire any Thing, I am yet content, that you. may be will-
ing to have it. So that I permit you the fkme Things:
And thofe very Pleafures will have a better Reliih too,
when they are enjoyed without Anxiety ; and when you

EPISTLE s: 3ii

come to command thofe Appetites, which before you
fcrved. It is natural, you wiJl fay, to weep for the Lofs
of a Friend ; to be moved at the Senfe of a good, or ill
Report, and to be fad in Adverfity. All this I will ~
grkrpt'yoa ; and there is no Vice, but (bmething may be
laid for it. At firft, it is tradable and moded ; out if we
give it Entrance, we fliall hardly get it out again. As
it goes on, it fathers Strength, and becomes quickly
ungovernable, it cannot be denied, but that all Af^
feftions flow from a kind of natural Principle ; and that
ic is our Duty to take care of oarfelves ; but it is tJien
our Duty alfo, not to be over-indulgent. Nature has
mingled Pleafures, even with Things moft neceflary ;
tiot that we Ihould value them for their own Sakes, but
to make thofe Things which we cannot live without*
to be more acceptable to us. If we efteem the Pleafurc
for it(elf, it turns to Luxury: It is not the Buiinefs of
Nature to raife Hunger, or Third, but to extinguilh
them.

As there are fomc natural Frailties, that by care
and Indufby, may be overcome; (b there are others
that are invincible : As for a Man that values not his
own Blood, to fwpon at the Sight of another Man's.
Involuntary Motions are infuperable, and inevitable;
as the ftaring of the Hair at ill news; blufhtng at a
f fcurrildus Difcourfe ; fwimming of the Head upon the
Sight of a Precipice, ^c. Who can read the Story of
Clodms*% expelling Cicero^ and Antony % killing of him,
the Cruelties of Mariusy and the Profcriptkms of Sjllay
without being moved at it ? The Sound of a Trum-
pet, the Pidure of any Thing that is horrid, the
Spectacle of an Execution, ilrikes the Mind, and works
upon the Imagination^ Some People are (Irangely fub-
je£t to fweat, to tremble, to ftammer ; their vtty Teeth
will chatter ii) th^ir Heads, and dieir Lips quiver;
and efpecially in public AiTemblies. Theife are natural
Infirmitiei ; and it is not all the Refolution in the World,
that can ever mafter them. Some redden when they
a^e angry ; Sylla was one of thofe ; and when the Blood
flulhed into, his Face, you might be fure he had Mah'ce
in his Heart. Pompey^ on the other fide, (that hardly,
ever fp^ke in Pabli(; without a Blulh} had a wonderful

3i« EPISTLES.

Sweetnefs of Nature ; and it did exceedingly well widi
him. Your Qkmediant wiH reprefent Fear, S^nefs,
Anger, and the like ; but whfen chey cane to a bafiifol
Ad(^efly> though they will gire yon Humbl^aefs of
liooks, Sofcnefs of Speech, and downcaft Eyes, to (he
very Life, yet they can never come to exprefs a Blu/h;
for it is a Thing neither to be commanded, nor hinder-
ed; but it comes and goes of its own Accord, The
Courfe of Nature is fax^oth and eafy ; but when we
come to crofs it» we drive againfl the Stream. It is not
for' one M^n to a^ aivothei: Man's P^t. For Nature
will quickly return, and take o^ ihe:Maftc* There is a
kind of facred InAinft that moves us^ Even the worll
have a Senfe of Virtue. fWe are not ki much ignorant
ascarelefs. Whence comes it, that grazing Beafts, dif-
tinguifh falutary Plants from deadly ? A Chjckea is afraid
of a Kite ; and -not of a Goofe» or a Peacock, which is
much bigger : A 6ird» of a .Cat, and not of a Dog.
This is Impulfe, and not Experiment. The Cells of. Bees,
and the "Web's of Spidet^; are iiocico be imkaied by Art, bat
it ia NatHce that teaches- the^t. ^'he Stage^player has
his Anions, and Geilures in Keadinefs ; but this is only
art improveflient.by Art of what Mature teaches them ;
who is never at. a JLiois for the Uie of berfelf. We come
into thetWorld wih this Knowledge ; and we have it by
a natural Inftitutibn ; ) which is no other, than a natural
l*pgfc. We brought the Seeds of Wifdom itfelf. There
is cbe Goednefi^ of God» and that of Man ; the one is
immOrDsl, and the other ihortal; Nature ^perfefts the
one, . and Study the other. . . . - ■ ->

EPISTLE XI.

ff^e arc iividid '^tn-^urfehe^\ kind confound Good
• • . an'd Ei>H.' '/ •

IT js no Wonder that Men are^ gfeherdlly very much
unfatisfied with the Wofid'; when 'there is not one
IVian of a Thoufand that agrees with himfelf; and that is
the Root of our Mi/ery ; only we are wijling to charge
our owit Vitcs upon the Malignity of Fdrome; Either

7

£ P I S T L E S.

3^J

Wt are puffed up with Pride, racked with Defires, diffolv-
ed in Pleafures, or blafted with Cares ; and which per-
fe^s our Unhappinefs, we are never alone^ but in perpe-
tual Conflid, and Controverfy with our Lufts.- We are
ftartled at all Accidents. We boggle at our own Sha-
dows, and fright one another. LucretiHs fays, Tkit <wg
are as much afraid in the Light y as Children in the Dark \
but I fay, ^haVnue are altogether in Darkve/s^ ^without any
Light at alU and nve run on hlindfold^ *without/o much as
gropittg our Way ; <which Rajhnefs in the Dark, is the
nvorft Sort of Madnefs. He that is in his Way, is in
Hope of coming to his Journey's End ; but Error is
-cndlefs. Let every Man therefore examine his Defines,
whether they be according to rc<aified Nature or not.
That Man's Mind can never be right, whofe Anions
difagrce* We muft not live by Chance ; for there can
be no Virtue without Deliberation and Eledlion. And,
where we cannot be certain, let us follow that which
is moft hopeful, and probable. Faith, Juftice, Piety,.
Fortitude, Prudence, arc venerable, and the Pofleflions
only of a good Man ; but a plentiful Eftate, a brawny
Arm, and a firm Body, are many Times the Portion of
the Wicked. The Perfedion of'human Nature, is that
State which iiipports itfelf, and fo is out of the Fear
of falling;. It is a great Weaknefs for a Man to value
himfeif upon any Thing, wherein he fhall be outdone by
F<>bls and Beafts. We are to confider Health, Strength,
Beauty, and other Advantages of that Kind, only as
adventitious Comforts : We may preferve them with
Care, provided that we be always ready to quit them
without Trouble. There is a Pleafure in Wickednefs as
well as in Virtue, and there are thofe that take a Glory
in it too ; wherefore our Forefathers prefcribed us the
-bed Life, and not the^moft plentiful ; and allowed us
Pleafure for a Companion, but not for a Guide. We
do many Times take the Inftruments of Happinefs, for
the Happinefs itfelf; and reft upon thofe Matters, ' that
are but in the Way to it. That Man only lives compof-
•ed, who thinks of every Thing that may happen before
he feels it. But this is not yet to advife, either Negle^
or Indifference \ for 1 would avoid any Thing, ^hai may
hurt me, where 1 may honourably do it. But yet 1 would

314 EPISTLES.

•

confider the word of Thinifs before hand. Examioe
•the Hope, ^nd the Fear ; and, where Things are un-
certain, favour yoiu-felf, and believe that which you had
rather (hould come to pafs. There are not many Meo
that know their own Minds, but in the very Inftant of
willing any Thing. We are for one Thing to-day, an-
other Tiling to-morrow ; fo that we live and die» without
coming to any Refolution : Still ieeking that eliewhere,
which we may giveoarfelves; that is to fay* a good Miod.
And, in trath, we do perfuade ourfekes, That in ieve-
ral Cafes we do dtfire the Thing, whkh eife^ttally we do
not defire. And all this, for want of laying down ibme
certain Principles to make Judgment inflexible and Heady.
When wc do any Evil, it is either for Fear of greats
Evil, or in hope of fuch a Good, as may more tl^n ba-
lance that EviL So that we are here diilra€led betwixt
the Duty of Finiihing oar Purpofe, and the Fear of Mif-
chief, and Danger. This Inflrmity mufl be diicharged.
Jn the Parfuit of P4eafurc$, we (hould take Notice, that
there ^re not only fenfual, but iad Pleafures alio, whidi
traofport the Mind with Adoration, (though they do not
tickle the Senies) give us a Veneration for thofe Virtues
that exercife themfelves in Sweat and Blood. All true
Goods hold an Affinity and Friendihip one with another;
and they are eqtial ; but falfe ones have in them much of
Vanity ; they are large and fpacious to the Eye; hut up*
on Examination, they want Weight. Now, diough Vir-
tues, are all alike, they may yet be diftinguiihed into de-
firahle, and admirable ; Virtaes of Patience, and of De-
light : But^ iti the Matter of common Accidents, there
is not any Thing which is truly worthy either of our Joy,
or of our Fear, For Reaibn is immoveable ; ^es not
fervc, but command our Senfes. What is Pleafure, bat
a low and brut (h Thing ? Glory is vain and volatile; Po-
verty is only hard to him that does notre/ift it; Superfii-
tion U a frantic Error, that fears where it fhould love ;
and rudely invades where it Should reverentiid^y worihip.
Death irfelf is no Evil at all, but tire common Benefit,
•And Right of Nature. There, w a great Di^rence be-
twixt thofe Things which are good in common Opinion,
av>d thofe which are fo in Truth and£^£l: The for-
mer have the Name of good Things, but not the Proper-

4

EPISTLES. J15

cy : they may befal us, but they do not (lick to as : And
they may be taken a\vay without either Pain to us, or
Diminution. We may ufe them, bat not trufl in them ; -
for, they are only depofi ted; and they muft, and will
forfake as. The only Treafure is that, which Fortune
has no Power over : And the greater it is, the lefs En*
vy it carries along with it. Let our Vices die before us,
and let us difcharge ourfelves of our dear-^bought Pl«a-
fttres, that hurt us, as well paft, as to come ; for they
are followed with Repentance, as well as our Sins. There
is neither Subflance in them, nor 1 ruth ; for a Man can
never be weary of Truth ; but there is a Satiety in.ErrOr.
The former is always the fame, but the' latter is vari-
ous ; and if a Man looks near it, he may fee through it.
Eeiidethaty the PofTciSons of a wi(e Man are maintained
v^ith Eafe. He has no need of Ambafiadors, Armies,
and Cables : but like God himfelf, he does his Bufmefa
without either Noife or Tumult. Nay, there is fome-
thing fo venerable, and facred in Virtue, that if we do
but meet with any Thing like it, the very Counterfeit
picafcs us. By the Help of PhiUfoph^ the Soul gives the
flip to the Body, and refreflies itfelf in Heaven, Plea*
fures, at belt, are (hort li</ed 5 but the Delights of Vir-
tue are fecure and perpetual. Only we muft watch, la-
bour, and attend it ourfelves. For it is a Bufiaefs not to
be done by a Deputy, Nor is it properly a Virtue to be
a little better than the Worft, Will any Man boaft of
his Eyes becaufe they tell him that the Sun (hines ? Nei-
. ther is he prefently a good Man that thinks il] of the
bad. For wicked Men do that too; and it is perhaps
the greateft Puniftiment of Sin, the Difpleafure that it
gives to the Author of it. The faddeft Cafe of all is,
when we become enamoured of our Ruin, and make
Wickednefs our Study ; when Vice has got a Reputa-
tion ; and when the Diflblute have loft the only good
Thing they had in their Excefles, the Shame of offending.
And yet the lewdeft Part of our Corruptions is in pri-
vate ; which, if any Body had looked on, we fhould ne-
ver have committed. Wherefore, let us bear in our
Minds the Idta of fome great Perfon, for whom we
have an awful Refped ; and his Authority will even
coqfecrate the very Secret of our Soulb ; and make us

P 2

3i6 EPISTLES.

not only mend our Manners, and purify oar very
Thoughts ; but in good Time render us exemplary to
others, and venerable to ourfelves. If Scifio or L^etius
were but in ourEye, we ihould not dare to tratifgrefs.
Why do we not make ourfelves then fuch Persons, as in
who(e Preience we dare not offend ?

EPISTLE Xn.

JVe are moved at the Novelty of Things^ for want
of underjianding the Reajon of them.

THE whole Subjeftof Natural Phi lofophy falls un-
der thcfe three Heads; the Heavens, the Wt^ and
the Earth. The firft treats of the Nature of the Stars ;
their Form and Magnitude : the SubHance of the Hea-
vens ; whether folia or pot, and whether they move of
themfelves, or be moved by any Thing elfe; whether
the Stars be below them, or fixt in their Orbs : In what
Manner the Sun divides the Seafons of the Year; and the
like. The fecond Part enquires into the Reafbn of
Things betwixt the Heavens ind the Earth ; as Clouds,
Rain, Snow, Thunder, and- whatfoever the Air either
does or fuffer^i. The third liandles Matters that have a
regard to the Earth ; as the Difference of Soils, Mine-
rals, Metals, Plants, Groves, i^c. But thefe are Confi-
derations nuholly foreign (o our Furpnfe^ in the. Nature
of them : though they may be of *very proper and perti-
M'.nt Jppliiafiott. There is not any Man fo brutal, and
.fo grovelling upon the Earth, but his Soul is roufed, and
carried up to higher Matters and Thoughts, upon the
Appearance of any new Light from Heaven. What can
be more worthy of Admiration than the Sun, and the
.Stars in their Courfes and Glory } and yet fo long as Na-
ture goes on in her ordinary Way, there is no body takes
Notice of them ; but when any Thing falls out beyond
Expeftation and Cullom, what a gazing, pointing, and
qudlioning is there prefently abopj \x. ! The People ga-
»ther together, and are at their Wit*s End ; not (6 much
-at the Importance of the Matter, as at the Novelty.

EPISTLES; 317

Every Meteor fcts People agog to know the Meaning of it,
and what it portends ; and whether it be a Star or a Pro-
digy : So tiiat it is wprth the while to enquire into the
Nature and Philofophy of thefe Lights, (though not the
Biifine/s $f this place) that by dffcovering the Reafon,
we may overcome the Apprehcnlion of them- There are
many Things which we know to be, and yet we know
xu>thing at all of what they are. Is it not the Mind that
nvoves us, and retrains us ? But, njuhat that ruling Power
is, we do no more underftand, than we know ivhere it is.
One will have it to be a Spirit: Another will have it to be
a divine Power ; fome only a fubtile Air : Others an in-
corporeal Being; and fome again will have it to be only
Blood, and Heat. Nay fo far is the Mind from a per«
fcQ. Underflandingof otiier Things, that it is ilillin fearch
of itfelf. It is not long fmce we came to find out the
Caufes of Eclipfes : And farther Experience will bring
more Things to Light, which are as yet in the Dark ;
but* one Age is not fuiHcient for fo many Difcoveries. 1 1
ijiaft be the Work of Sttccefliont, and Pofterity : and the
Time will come, when we (hall wpndtr that Mankind
fliould be fo long ignorant of Things that lay fo open, and
ib eafy to be made known. Truth is offered to all ; but
we muft yet content oarfelves with what is already found;
and leave fomeTmths to be retrieved by After ages. The
exa^ Truth of Things is only know^ to God ; but it is
yet lawful for us to enquire, and to conje£l jre, though
not with too much Confidence : Nor yet altogether with-
out Hope. In the £rfl Place however, let us learn Things,
neceifary ; and if we have any Time to fpare, we may
apply it to Superfluities.

Why do we trouble ourfelves about Things which
poffibly may happen, and peradventure notP Let us rather
provide againft thofe Dangers that watch us, and lie
m wait for us. To fofFer shipwreck, or to be crufh-
ed with the Ruin of a Houfe ; thefe are great Misfor-
tunes, but they feldom happen. The deadly and the
hourly Danger that threatens human Life, is from one
Man to another. Other Calamities do comn^only give
us fome Warning : The Smoke gives us Notice of a Fi e ;
the Clouds bid us provide for a Storm ; but human Ma^
lice has noProffnoitici and the nearer it is, the fair«r

p 3

3i8 EPISTLES.

it looks. There is no trafling to the Countenance ; we car-
ry the Shapes of Men, and the Hearts of Beafe. Nay,
ue are worie than Beads; for a Bead has only no Rea-
Ion at all ; bur the other is perverteii, and tarns his
Reafontohis Mifchief. Befide that, all the Hurt which
they do, is out of Fear, or Hunger; but Man takes De^
light in deftroying his own ELind. From the Danger we
are in from Men, we may confider our Z)jK(y to them;
and take care that we neither do, nor fuffer Wrong. It
is but humane, to be troubled at the Misfortune of an-
other, and to rejoice at his Profperity* And it is like-
wife prudent, to bethink ourfelves what we are to do, and
what we are to avoid ; by which Means we may keep
ourielvcs from being either harmed or deceived. The
Thing! that moA provoke one Man to do Hurt to ano-
ther, are Hope, Envv, Hatred, Fear and Contempt, bot
Contempt is the flignteft. Nay, many Men have beu-
ken themfelves to it for their Security. There is no
Doubt, but he that is contemned, fhall be tr«d upon ;
but then his Enemy pafles over him as not wortn Ui
Anger.

■•^

EPISTLE XIII.

«

Ever/ Mm is tbt Artificer pf hh 9wn Fmrtwa. Of

Juftic€ and Injufiici.

r

THE fhort of the Queftion betwixt yoo and me, is
thi', IVhether a Man had hett$r fart <with bim"
fi'A ^*' /^^ft^^ffig f^fi '^^' heio>gHo him ? And it is ca-
Idy refoived in all Competitions betwixt the Goods of
Senfe and Fortune; and thofe of Honour and Conici-
ence. Thole Things which all Men covet, are bot (pe«
cious Outfides ; and there is nothing in them of fobftan-
tial Satisfadion. Nor isthere any Thing fo hard and
terrible in the contrary, as thie Vulgar imagine ; only the
Word Calamity has an ill Reputation in the World ; and
the very Name is more -grievous than the Thing itfdf.
What have I to complain oF, if I can turn that to Hap-
pioeis, which others count a Mifery ? A wile Man ci-

EPISTLES. 319

ther repeU, or e)e€b, as he iees the Matter before J^Iir,
without fearing the 111 whic^h h« rejefks, or admirinr what
he chufea. He is never furpritcd: but in the midft of
Wenty he prepares for Poverty; as a prudent Prince
does for War, in the Depth of Peace. Our Condition
is good enough, if we make the beft of it; and oUr Fe*
Ucity is in our own Power. Things that are adnjentitious^
have no E{fe& npffn him that JIudies to make fure of hit
Ha^pinefs ^within him/eif, Evtry Man ftwuld flaiKl up-
on his Guard againft Fortune ; and take nK){l heed to
hnnfelf when fhe fpeaks him faireft. All the Advantage
fhe gets upon us, is at unawares ; whereas he that is pro-
vided for her, and ftands the firft Shock, carries the Day.
It 18 not with comi^on Accidents of Life, as with tire* .
and Swordy that burn and cut all alike; but Misfoi-tunes
ivork more or Icfe, according: to the Weakncfs, or Refo-
kition of the Patient. He Ihat grieves for the Lofs of
cafuat Comforts, (hall never want Occafion of Sorrow.
Wc fay commonly, 7 hat every Man has his <weak Sic/t .*
But give me Leave to tell you, That he that makers one
Vice, may mafter all the reft. He that fubdues Ava-
rice, may conquer Ambition. It ts not for Philofophy
to excufe Vices. The Patient has little Hope of Health,
when the Phyiician prefcribes Intemperance : Though [
know, on the other Side, that he that does any Thing
above the Ordinary, does bat fet up himfelf for a Mark
to Malevolence and Envy. Where Laws are ncgleded,
Corruptions muft inevitabfy be introduced: for the Au-
thority of Virtue is Ihakcn. And what are L«w/, but
only Frteefts mingled with Threats ? With this Di^er-
cnce, that the former deter us from Wickednefs, and
the latter advi(e us to Virtue. A Preambfe, methinks,
derogates from the Honour of a Law, which ought ta
be fhort and clear ; and to command, without fu^ering
any Expoftulation. It is a flat, and an idle Thin^, a
Law with a Prologue. Let me only be told my Duty,
and I am not to difpute^ but to obey.

If I have not acquitted myfelf of my laft Promife to
you ; know, that in aH Promifes, there is a tacit Re-^
kxst ; If 1 can ; If I ought ; or, If ^hin^s continue in
the fame State: So that by the Change of Circunuftances,
I ain difcharged of my Obligation. I know very well

P4

32C EPISTLES.

the Bonds of juftice ; and yet the Pradkes of the World
to the contrary. There are no greater Exadors of Faith,
than the Perfidioas ; no greater Feriecutors of Falihood,
than the Perjurious* He that loves his Neighbour's
Wife, for that very Reafbn, becaufe ihe is another
Man's, locks up his own^ The Wickednefs of other
Men we have always in our Eye, but we caft our own
over our Shoulders. "^ A worfe Father chailifes a better
Son : He that denies nothing to his own Luxury, will
pardon nothing in another ManV. A Tyrant is offend-
ed at Cloodlhed ; the Sacrilegious puniihes Theft, and
the greater Part of the World quarrels rather with the
Offender than the Offence. It is very rare, that either
the Joy or the Benefit of an EUate injurioujQy gotten,
continues long. Men go together by the Ears about the
Booty, and we pay dear for Things of little Value. We
live and die, lugging one another, breaking one another's
Kefl $ and our Lives _are without Fruit, and without
Fleafure. Juftice is a natural Principle. I muft live thus
with my Friend, thus with my Fellow-Citizens, thus
with my Companion : And why \ Becaufe it is juft : not
ior Defign, or Reward : For it is Virtue itelf, and no«
thing elfe that pleafes us. There is no Law extant for
keeping the Secrets of a F/iend, or for not breaking
Faith with an Enemy. • And yet there is juftCauleot
Complaint, if a Body betrays a Truft. If a wicked
Man call upon me for Money that I owe him ; I will
make no Scruple of pouring it into the Lap of a com*
mon ProfUtute, if fhe be appointed to receive it. For
my Bufineis is to return the Money, not to order him
bow he ihall difpofe of it. I mull pay it, to a Good
Man, .when it is expedient; and to a bad, when be calls
foriu

1

EPISTLES. 3«»

EPISTLE. XIV,

Of Truji in Friend/htp, Prayer^ and bodify

Exercife.

THERE arc fome People, that if any Thing goes
crofs with them, though of a Quality only fit (ot
the Ear of a Friend, out it goes at a venture to the next
Comer : Others again are fo fufpicious, and fo obflinate-
\y clofe, that *they will rather perifh than truft the bed
Friend they have with it ; they are, both of them, in the
Wrong : only the one is the better-natured Error, and
the other the fafer. Now, as to the Truft of a Friend :
there are many innocent Things which in their own Na*
ture may feem to be Privacies, and which Cuftom has
ever reputed fo : in which Cafes, there is Place enough
for the Offices of FriendOiip, in the mutual Communica-
tion of our mod fecret Cares and Counfels, But yet we
are ib to govern . ourfelves, that even an Enemy fhould
not turn our Adions to Reproach* For an honefl Maa
lives not to the Worlds but to his own Confcience.
There is a certain Softnefs of Nature, and Spirit, that
ideals upon a Man ; and, like Wine, or Love, draws all .
Things from him. No Man will either conceal, or tell,
all that he hears. But he that tells the Thing, will hard-
ly conceal the Author : So that it pailes from one to an-
other ; and that which was at £rft a Secret, does pre*
iently become a Rumour. For this, and for many othejr
Reafons, we (hould fet a Watch upon our Lips, and atten i
the more ufeful and neccflary Work of Contemplation,
The firft Petition that we are to make to God Almighty, is
for a good Con/cience j the fecond for Health of Mind ;
and then of Body, There are fome Things which we di-
' redly wiflx for, as Joy, Peace, and the like; fome that
we pray for, only in cafe of NeceHity ; as Patience in
■ Pain, or Sicknefs, i^c> Ochers that concern our exter-
nal Behaviour, as Modefly of Countenance, Decency of
Motion, and fuch a Demeanor, as may become a pru*
dent Man. Many Things may be commodious ; that is
to fay, they may be otmoreUfe than Trouble: and

Ps

Siz EPISTLES,

yet not fimply good* Some Things we have for Exer-
ciCe, others for Inftru£Uon and Delight. Thefe Things
belong to as only as we are Men^ hut not as we are gooJ
Men. Some Things ferve to correct and regulate our
Manners ; others to enquh^ into the Nature, and Ori-
ginal of them. How (hall we know what a Man is to
do, if we do not (earch into his Nature, and find out
what is bed for him, and what he is to avoid, and what
to purfue? Humanity not only keeps us from being
proud, and covetous : but it makes us affable and gentle,
in our Words, A6iions, and AffeAions. 'We have no
Precepts for the LrSe* al JrtSf neither for this, nor for
Sincerity, Integrity of Manners, Modefty, Frugality ;
no, nor for Clemency itfelf ; which makes us as tender
of another*s Blood, as of our own ; and diflinguiihes
Mfft in Society i from Beafls of Prey, Some People are ever
complaining of the Iniquity of the Times : But, let no
Man depend upon theGoodnefs of his Caufe, but rather
upon the Firmneis of his Courage ; there may be Force
or Bribery ; I would hope the befl, but prepare for the
worft. . What if I have ferved an ungrateful Intereil, and
Offered wrongfully? An honed Man is more troubled
for the Injuftice of a fevere Sentence, than for the Cruel-
ty of it j and that his Country has done an ill Thing, ra*
ther than that he himfelf fufitrs ir. If he be baniflied,
the Shame is not his, but the Author's of it. He tem-
pers his Delights and AfHidions, and fays to himlcif,
That if our Joys cannot be long, neither will our Sorrows.
He is patient in his own Misfortunes ; without Envy
at the Advantages of his Neightoatr^ His Virtue is bolder
In the Opp'Jition of ill Things, than Tyranny itfelf can
be in the imp^fing of tkem. This is rather to tell yoo
what you do already, than what you ihould do. Go on,
as you have begun, and make hade to be perfefl : But^
take Notice, that ihe Mind is to be now and then un-
bent; a Glafs of Wine, a Journey, a mouthful of frefli
Air, relieves it : But then there is a DIfierence betwixt
a RemiiTion, and a DifTolution. Without Exercife, a
dull Humour invades us; and.it is ren^rkable, that Men
of brawny Arms, and bioad Shoulders, have commonly
weak Souls. Some Exercifes are fhbrt and gentle, and
let the Body right prcicntly. But, whatever we do, let

EPISTLES. 3t^

118 return quickly to theMilid; foe that ip^ft not lie idle.
A little Labour ferves it ; and it works in all Seafons ;
in Sumoier , Wioter, Old Age ; nothirtg Kixiders. it. And
to make it more valuable, it is every Day better than
another. Not that 1 would have you perpetually poring
upon a Book neither ; but allow yourielf feafonable Re«
fpites, and to it again. A Coach, or a Walk, does your
body good, without interrupting your Study : For you
may difcourfe, di£Vat«, read, hear, at the fame Time.
Now, though the Exercife be lauJable and healthful,
yet the Mailers of them are for the moft part of lewd
Example. They divide their Lives betwixt the Tavern
and the Hot houfe, and a fwimming Debauch is a gocd
Day's Wbrk with them. But, how apt are we to Tet
Bounds to others, and none to ourfelves ; and to obferve
their Warts, when our own Bodies are covered with Ul-
cers ! What is more ordinary, than for People to leve-
rence and deteft the Fortunate, at the fame Time, even
for doing thofe Things which they themfelves would do,
if they could ! There might be Tome Hope of our A-
mendment, if we would but confefs our Faults ; as a
Man mud be awake that tells his Dieam. There ate
ibme Difeafes which are abfolutely ho{)elefs, and paft
Cure; but they may yet be palliated; and Philofophy^
if it cannot help in one Cafe, it may in another. To a'
Man in a Fever, a gentle Remiffion is a Degree of
Health: and it is fomething, if a Man be not perfectly
found, to be yet more curable. But we are loth to be
at the Pains of attending our ownBufinefs: We lead
the Life in the Wdrld that fome lazy People do in a
Market, they /land gaping about them, without either
buying, or felling. We flip our Opportunities; and if
they be not catched'in. the very Nid, they are irrecover-
ably loa.

P6

3^4 EPISTLES.

E P I S T L E XV.

Tbf Danger of Flattery ^ and in what Cafes a Man
may be allowed to commend himfelf

DEMETRIUS was wont tp fay. That Knanery tuaf
the ready Way to Riihee; and that the cafting off of
Virtae was the £rft Step to Thriving in the World. Sta*
dy bat the An of Flattery, (which is now-a-days (b ac-
ceptable, that a moderate Coounendacion pafles for a Li-
bel) Study that Ait, (I fay) and you (hall do your Bufi-
■ nefs without running any Rifque upon the Seas, or any
Hazards of Merchandizing, Huibandry, or Suits at Law.
There is not one Man of a Million that is Proof againfi:
an artificial Flatterer, but fooiething or other will flick,
if we do but give him the Hearing. Nay, we like him
well enough, though we ihake him off, and ihe Quarrel
Is eafily reconciled. We feem to oppofe him, but we do
not (hut the Door againft him ; or if we do, it is but
as a Miflrefs will do romeiime upon her Servant, Sht
nvouU be fwell emugb content to he hindered ; and take it
mu'ekbetter yet to have it broke open. Befide that, a Man
lies commonly moft open where he is attacked : How
fbamefully are ereat Men fawned upon by their Slaves ^
and inured to fulibme Pr^fes ? When the only Bufineis
of thofe, that call themfelves Friends, is to try who can
moil dextrouily deceive his Mafter. For want of know-
ing their own Strength, they believe themfelves as great»
as their Parafites reprefent them : ^nd venture upon
Broils, and Wars, to their irreparable Deftru^on. They
break Alliances, and tranfport themfelves into Paffions»
which, for want of better Counfels^r' hurry thena on ta
Blood and Confufion. They puribe every wild Imagi-
nation as a Certainty, and think it a greater Difgrace
to be bent, than to be broken.- They fet up their Reft
upon the Perpetuity of a totteiing Fortune, till they
come at laft to fee the Ruin of therafelvesy, and their
Poileffions } and too late to uaderfiand,. that their Mis-
fortAines and their Flatteries were of the lame Date.
There is a fparing, and a crafty Flattery, that looks
like Plaia-dealing. Bat all Flatteries are Words of Coorfes

EPISTLES, 325

and he that receives them, will give them. Nay, let
it be never fo fhamelefs, a Man takes all to himfeir^
though his ypry Confcience gives him the Lie. Cruelty
fhall be tranilated Mercy ; Extortion and Oppreffion .
fhall be called Liberality ; Lull and Gluttony, to the
highefl Degree in the World, fhall be magnified for
Temperance. Now, what Hope is there for his chang-
ing for the better, that values himfelf for the beft of Men
already ? The Stroke of an Arrow convinced Ahxeindtr^
that he was not the Son of Jupitery but a mortal Man*
And thu«, upon the Experiment of human Frailty, (hould
«very Man fay to himfelf. Am not I fad fometimes, and
tortured betwixt Hope and Fear ? Do I not hanker after
vain Pleafure ? He that is not yet fatisfied, is not fo good ^
as' he (hould be. The Words of Flatterers and Parafites fel-
dom die in the Hearing; and when they have gained Admit*
tance, they grow more and more upon you : and fhortly
they will tell you, that Virtue^ PhiUfophy and Jufiicey are
but empty Sounds; let every Man live while he* may,,
and make the beft of the Prefent ; and not govern him-
felf at a Rate, as if he were to keep a Diary for his Fa her t
What Mad nefs is ir, to enrich a Man^s H«ir, and flarve
himfelf; and to turn a Friend into an Enemy ? For, his.
Joy will be proportioned to what you leave him : Never
trouble yourfelf for thefe fuperfluous Cenfors of other
Mens Lives, and Enemies of their own : Thefe Peda-
gogues of Mankind are not worth your Care. Thefb
are the People that draw us from our Parents and
Country, our Friends, and other neceffary Duties.

I wouLi> neither be deceived myfelf, nor deceive
others; but if a Man cannot live without it, let him com-
mend himfelf,' and fay thus : *' I have applied myfelf to
*• liberal Studies :, though both the Poverty of my Con-
•• dition, and my own Reafon might rather have put roe
** upon tlje nuking of vsiy Fortune. I have given
'* Proof, that all Minds are capable of Goodnefs ; and
^' have ilkftrated the Obfcurity of xsiy Family, by the
V E'minency of my Virtue. I have prefcrved my Faith
^' in all Extremities, and I have ventured my Life for it*
" I havetiever fpoken one Word contrary to my Con-
^' fcience, and I have been more folicitous ror my
** Frien^ than for myfelf; I never made any bafe Suiv

}2$ EPISTLES.

(•

miffion to any Man; and I have never done any
<* Thing anwrorthy of a refolate, and of an honefl Man.
*' My Mind is raifed fo much above all Dangers, that I
*' have maftered all Hazards ; and I blefs myfelf in the
•• Providence which gave me that Experiment of my Vir-
•* tue: For it was not fit, methooght; that fe great Glory
** (hould come cheap. Nay, 1 did notfo much as deli-
•• berate, whether good Faith (boafd fuifer for mc, or I
*• for it. I ftood my Grouird, without laying violent
•• Hands upon myfelf, to eicape the Rage of the Powerful;
** though under Caligula I faw Cruelties, to fuch a De-
•* gree, that to be killed outright was accounted a Mercy.
•* And yet I pcrfifted in my Honefty, to (hew that I was
** ready to do more than die for it. My Mind was
•• never corrupted with Gifts ; and when the Humour
** of Avarice was at the Height, 1 never laid my Hand
'* on any unlawful Gain : I have been temperate in my
** Diet ; modeft in my Difcourfe; courteous and affable
*• to my Inferiors ; and have ever paid a Refpcft, and
•* Reverence to my Betters.'* After all, what I have faid,
is cither true or falfe : If true, I have commended myfelf
before z. great Witnefsy my own Cotifciencei if falfe, 1 am
ridiculous, without any Witnefs at all. Let every Man
recrrc inro himfelf ; for the old, the young; Men, Wo-
men, and Children, they are all wicked. Not every one
only, or a few, but there is a general Confpiracy in Evil.
We Ihould therefore fly the World, withdraw into our-
felves ; and in fome Sort avoid even ourfelves too.

EPISTLE XVr.

A general Dijfolutlon of Manners ; iviib a Ctnfurt of

corrupt Magijlraies, ,

•

TH E Corruptions of the prefent Times, is the gene^
ral Complaint of all I'imeSv; it has ever been fo,
and it ever will be fo : Not coiifidering that the Wick-
ed nefs of the World is always the &me, as to the De-
gree of it ; though it may change Places, perhaps, and
vary a little ia the Matter. One while. Whoiing i&tir

EPISTLES. 32^

Falhion, another while Gluttony : To-day, Excefs in
Apparel; and more Care of the Body than of the Mind :
Xo- morrow, comes up the Humour of Scoffing ; and
after that, perchance, a Vein of Drinking ; when he
fhall be accounted the braved Man, that makes himfelf
the veryeft Beaft. This proftitute Loofenefs of Manners
makes Way for Sedition and Cruelty Under Tiherius^
the Plague of your Dilators^ or informers, was worfe
than any civil War. It was an Age, wherein the Words
of Men, in their Cups ; the moll innocent Railleries,
and ingenious Freedoms of Converfation, were made
capital. When it was dangerous to be honed^ and only
profitable to be vicious. And not only ill Things, but
Vice itfelf was both commended and preferred; for all
Infolences, when they conic to, be exemplary, they pre<^
tend to be lawful. Authority in Sin is an Incentive to
it : ^nd is at lead an Excuie, if not a Warrant, to
tranfgrefs, after great Example. Befide that, we are
prone enough to do amifs, even of ourfelves, without
either a Leader or a Companion. But it is a malevo-
lent Sort of Comfort> that which Men take in the Num*
berof the Wicked.

The word of all is ; that whereas in other Cales the
People are afhamed of their Errors ; in that of Life, they
are delighted with them, and fo become incurable. The
Pilot takes no Pleafure in running upon a Rock ; nor the
Phyfician in the Death of his Patient ; nor the Advocate
in the Lofs of his Client's Caufe ; but, on the other Side,
the Criminal rejoices in his Uncleannefs in his Ambition,
and in his Theft ; and never troubles himfelf for the Fault,
but for the Mifcarriage. He makes Infamy the Reward of
Lewdnefs, and values himfelf upon his Excellency in lilt-
doing. The CJueilion is. Who (hall be mod impious ? We
have every Day worfe Appetites, and lefs Shame; So-
briety, and Confcience, are become foolifh and fcandalous
Things; and, it is half the Reiifh of our Luds that they
are committed in the Face of the Sun. Innocency is not
only rare, butlod ; and Mankind is entered into a Sort of
Confederacy againd Virtue, To fay notTiing of intedine
Wars ; Fatners and Sons in League againd one another ;
poifoned Fountains; Troops in fearch of the banidied and
profcribed ; Prifbns crammed with worthy Men ; Cities
demoliflied; Rape and Adultery authorized; public

1^9 B P I S; T L E S.

Perjuries, and Frauds ; a Violation of common Faith ;
and all the Bonds of hnman Society cancelled. Adulttry.
is the ready way to Wedlocks 2Lii^ Marriage to a SingU
Life a^ain ; for Parting is one Condition of it. For,
they divorce to marry ; and they marry, to be divorced*
7'hat which they often talk, and hear of, they eaiily do.
What Shame can there be of Incontinence, whe^ Mo-
deily is become a Reproach ; and when it is the Mode
for every Wife to provide herfelf a Gallant or two, beiide
her Hufoand? Jt is an idle Thing to think of ever con-
verting thofe People, that find both Advantage- and Re-
potation in their Wickcdnefs.

Would any Man ever have imagined, that Clodius
ihould have come oft* by Bribery, for debaoching the
Wife of Ctrfary and prophaning the public Vows for the
Safety of the People ; bnt, the Judges were corrupted ;
and not only with Mon6y, but with the Bodies of yonng
Men and Women : fo that his Abfolution was fouler
than his Crime ; the Bribe was Adultery, as well as the
Offence ; and he had no Way to be fafe, till he had made
his Judges like himfelf. Name the If om an you ha've a
mind to, (fays he) and you Jhall have her. And fwhen
you ha*ve ccmm tied the Sin, condemn it if you liar e, Ap»
faint the 'li^ne, and the PLeOy and Jhe fiall he ready for
you. Nay, the Praflice was fo grofs, that the Bench de-
fired a Guard of the Senate, to fecure them from the
People. Before the Sentence was given he was an Adul-
terer; in the Manage of the Caufe, he was a Pander;
and his Way of efcaping Puniihment, was fouler than
the Offence that defer ved it A Luft that fpared not
the Altar, and perverted Juftice upon the very Seat of
Judgment. The Queftion was. Whether an Adulterer
Jhould efcape unpuni/hed \ and the Rcfolution was. That,
luithout being an Adulterer, he could not he fecure, ' Nor
is it liiccly, that their Converfation was one Jot honefter
than their Sentence. Thefe 1 hings have been done, and
will be done. Difcipline and Fear may rellrain the
Licence of the People ; but it is not to be thought, that
they will ever be good of their own Accord. But, let
tis not yet fpeak of Luxury and Difiblution, as the Vices
cf the Age; which, in truth, are only the Vices of the
Men. The Practices of our Times arc moderatej com-

EPISTLES. 529

pared with thofe, when the Delinquent pleaded Not
guilty to the Bench, and the Bench confeflcd \xk\i guilty
to the Delinquent ; and when one Adultery was excufcd
by another. In thofe Day^ it paiTed for great Piety, not
to be vtry impious. He that gave mod carried the
Caufe ; and it is but according to the Law of Nations,
for hini that buys, to firll. And, it is to be noted, that
a Man may be as covetous of what he intends to fquan«
<jeraway, as if he were to hoard it up. The Contempt
of Poverty in others, and the Fear of it in ourfelves,
unmerciful Oppreffions, and mercenary Magiftrates, are
the common Grievances of a licentious Government.
7'he Baths, and the Theatres are crowded » when the
Temples and the Schools are empty ; for Men mind their
Pleafures more than their Manners. Ail Vices ^g^in:
upon us, by the Promife of Reward ; Avarice promifes
Money ; Luxury fenfual Satisfadlion ; Ambition pro-
mifes Preferment^ and Power. And it is no Excufe to
iay, that a Man is not very covetous; a little ambitiou39
cholerick, inconAant, luilful, and the like. He had bet-
ter have one great Vice, than a Spice of all little ones.
We fiiy commonly, that a Fool has all Sorts of Vices in
him ; that is to fay, he is free from none j bat they do
AOt all appear 1 and he is more prone to one, than to
another. One is given to Avarice, another to Luxury,
a third to Wantonnefst but we are not yet to aik the
Steickit if AcbiUes be a Coward ; Arifiida^ unjuft ; Fabius^
rafh ; Mucius^ a Traitor ; *Camilfust a Deferfer. We do
not fay, that aU Viat are in aU Men^ as /(me are in /om
Particulan, •

EPISTLE XVII.

The Original of all Men is the fame ; and Virtue
is the only Nobility. There is a Tendemefs due
to Servants.

IT U not well done to be dill murmuring againil Na*
ture and Fortune ; as if it- were their Unkindnefs that
ips^kes you in^onfidexablei when it is only by youv 9^^

35d EPISTLE S.

Weaknefs, that yoa make youtCcK Co : For it is Virtse,
not Pedigree, that renders a Man either valuable, or hap-,
py. Philofophy does not either rejed or chafe any Man
for his Quality. Socrates was no Patrician ; Cleanthes^
but an lJ»d$r-gard(ner\ neither did Plato dignify Philo*
fophy by his Birth, but by ^his Goodne(s. h\\ (befe
worthy Men are our Progcfutort ; if we will but do our-
selves the Honour to become their Di/cipUs. The Ori-
ginal of all Mankind was the fame; and, it is only a
clear Confcience, that makes any Man tuhie: For, that
derives even from Heaven icfelf.^ It is the Saying of a
great Man, That if we could trace our Defcents, we
fbov\6. find all Slaves to come from. Princes, and all
Princes from Slaves. Bat Fortune has turned all Things
topfy-tnrvy, in a long Story of Revolutions. It is m^
certain, that our Beginning had nothing before it ; and
our Anceftors were Tome of them fplendid, others fordid,
as it happened. We have loft the Memorials of our
£xtra6iioo, and in truth, it matters not whence we came/
but whither we go. Nor is it any more to our Honour,
the Glory of our Predeceflbrs, than it is to their Shame,
•be Wiekedne^ of their Pofterity, We are all of as
compo&d of the fame Elements ; why fbould we then
^lue ourielves upon our Nobility of Biood, as if we
were not all of ns equal, if we could but recover oof
Evidence ? Bot^ when we can carry it no farfher, the
^#r«/E/ provides fome Hero tafupply the Place of an il-^
luftrious Original ; and there is the Rife of Arms, and
Families. For a Man to fpend hii Life, in Purfuit of a
Title, that ierves only, wheit he dies, to furnift oat an
Ep':tafhy is below a wife Man's Bufinefs.

Vt pleafes me exceedingly to underhand by all that
come out of your Quarters, ihat you demean yoorfelf
humanely and tenderly towards your Servants. It is the
Part of a wife and a good Man, to deal with his^Inffr.
ridr as he would have his Superior deal with kim ; for
Servants are not only Men i but a Kind of humble Friends:
and Fortune has no more Power over them, than over
their Mailers : And he that duly confiders, how maoj
Servants have come to be Mailers, and how many Madeis
to be Servants, will lay no* great Strefs cs^ Argument,
either upon the one, or ufoj! the odwr. Steie nfc iheif

E P I S T L' E S. .331

Servants worfe than Beafts, in flavifh Attendances^ be-
twixt their Drink and their Lufls ; fome are brought up
only to t:arve, others to fealbn ; and all to ferve the
Tarns of Pomp and Luxury. Is it not a barbarous
Cttllom, to make it almoil capital for a Servant only to
cough, fnees&ey iigh, or but wag his Lips, while he is in
waiting; and to keep him the whole Night mute and
failing : yet Co it comes to pafs, that they that dare not*
fpeak le/ere their Mailer^, will not forbear talking qf
them ; knd thofe, on the other Side, that were allowed a'
nodeft Freedom of Speech in. their Mafter^s Entertain-
mentSy were moft obfilnately filent upon the Torture,*
rather than they would betray them. But we live as if a
Servant were not made of the fame Materials with his
Mafter, or to breathe the feme Air, or to live, and die,
under the fame Conditions. ^ It is worthy of Obferva-
tion, that the moft imperious Mailers over their own^
Servants, are, at the fame Time, the moil abjed Slaves to
the Servants of other Mailers. I will not diHinguiih a
Servant by his Office, but by his Manners. The one is
tihe Work of Fortune, the other of Virtue. But we
look only to his Quality, and not to his Merit Why
fluwld not a brave Adion, rather dignify the Conditioii
of a Servan^j than the Condition of a Servant lefl^n ar
brave Adion } I would not value a Man* for his Clothes,
or Degree* any^more than I would do a Horie for his-'
Trappings. What if he b# a Servant! Shew me any
Man that is not fo, to his Lulls, his Avarice, his Ambi-
tion, his Palate, to his Quean ; nay, to otherMens Ser-
vants ; and we ate all of us Servants to Fear. Iniblent
1^'e are, many of us at home ; iervile and defpifed a-
broad ; and none are more liable to be trampled upon,'
than thofe that have rotten a Habit of giving Affront*
by fuffering them. What matters it how many Mailers
we have, when it is but one Slavery ? And whofoever
contemns that, is pcrfedlly free, let his Mailers be never
fb many. That Man is only free, not whom Fortune
has a /ittk Power over, but over whom fhe has ncne at
all: Which State of Liberty is an ineflimable Good,
when we defirejiothing, that is either fuperflaous, or
vicious. They are Affes that are made for Burden, and
not the nobler Sort of Horles. In the civil Wars, be*

35* , epistles;

twlxt C^/ar and Pcm ey^ the Qucflion was not, who
(hould be Slaves, or fiee, but who ibould be Mailer.
Ambition is the fame Thing in private, that it is in public;
and the Duties are efFedually the fame, betwixt the
Mafter of a Kingdom, and the Mafler of a Family. As
1 would treat fome Servants kindly, becaufe they are
worthy ; and others to make them fo ; fo, on the other
Side, I would have a Servant to reverence his Mafler ;
and rather to love him than fear him. Some there are
that think this too little for a Mafter, though it is aM
that we pay, even to God himfelf. The Body of a
Servant may be bought and fold, but his Mind is fttt.

"•^

EPISTLE XVm.

« •

We are jujler to Men than to God. Of Life and
Death i of Qood and Evil.

IT is without Difpute. that the Lofs of a Friend is
one of the greateft Trials of human Frailty ; and no
Man is fo much exalted above the Senfe of that Calami-
ty, as not to be affeAed with it* And yet if a Man
bears it bravely, they cry, He has no Senfi of Piety or
Cood^Nature in him : if he fmks under it, they call him
effeminate : So that he lies both Ways under a Reproach.
And what is the Ground. of the Trouble,. I befeech yoa,
but that he might ha<ve lived longer y in Re/peS of hit
Tears, and in £fie6t, that he ought 1o have i^one fo, in
regard of his JJfefulnefs to the World f I cannot but
wonder to fee Men that are really julU and temperate in
all their Dealings wixh Men, and in Bufinefs fo exceed-
ingly to forget themfelves, in this Point. But we have,
in Excufeof this Error, the Failings of the whole World
with us for Company. For even thofe that are the mod
fcrupuloufly confcientious toward Men, are yet unthank*
ful and injurious to Providence.

It is not the Number of Days that makes a Life
long, but the full Employment of them, upon the main
End and Purpofe of Life, which is the perfecting of
the Mind : In making a Man the abfolutc Mafler of him*

fi P I S T L £ $. 333

felf* I reckon the Matter of Age among cxfernal
Things ; the main Point is, to live and die with Honour*
Every Man that lives, is upon the Way, and muft gd
through with his Journey, without flopping, till he
comes at the End : and wherefoever it ends, if it ends^
well, it is a perfefl Life. There is an invincible Fate
that attends all Mortals ; and one Generation is con-
demned to tread upon the Heels of another. Take
away from Life, the Power of Death, and it is a Slavery.
As Caligula was pailing upon the Way, an old Man, that
was a Prifoner, and with a Beard down to his Girdle,
made his Requeft ' to C/*»y2ir, that he might be put to
Death. IVhy^ fays C^s:far to him, are you not dead aU
ready? So that you fee fome defireit, as well as others
fear it : And why not ? When it is one of the Duties of
Life, to die : and it is one of the Comforts of it too ; for
the Living are under the Power of Fortune, but (he has
no Dominion at all over the Dead. How can Life be
pteafant to any Man, that is not prepared to part with
it ? Or what Lofs can be eafier to us, than that which
can never be mifled, or deiired again ? I was brought by
a Defluxion into a hopelefs Confumption ; and 1 had it
• many Times in my Thought to deliver myfelf from a
miferable Life, by a violent Death. But the Tendernefs
'I had for an aged and indulgent Father held my Hand^ :
for, thought I to myfelf, it will be very hard for my
Father to be without me, though 1 could moft willingly
part with myfelf. In the Cafe of a particular Difeafc, a
Phyfician may propound a Remedy : but the only Re-
medy for all. Difeafes. is the Contempt of Death.
(Though I know too, that it \% the Bufinefs of a long
Life to learn that Lefibn.)

Oh ! the Happinefs of diftinguifhing Good from Evil,
in the Works of Providence I But, inltead of raiiing our
Thoughts to the Contemplation of divine Matters, and
enquiring into the Original, the State, and appointed
IfTue of created Nature, we are digging tof the Earth,
and ferving of pur Avarice ; negle£ling all the good
Things that are fo frank Jy offered us. How great a
Folly and Madnefs is it, for Men that are dying, and in
the Hands of Death already, to extend their Hopes, and
to carry their Ambition and Deftres to the Grave uq-

554 EPISTLES.

jfaEtisfied ? For whgtfoever k taidted with diofe hydropic
Appetites, can never have enough, cither of M<mey, or
Power. It is a remarkable Thing, that among thofe that
place their Happinefs in SenCe, they are the moil mife-
Table that feem to he hapjHcft. The Riches of Nature
^u-e the mod predoas Treafares. What has any Man to
.defire more, than to keep himfeif from Cold, Hui^er,
and Thiril ? It is not the Qnaatity, but the Opinion that
governs in this Cafe ; That c^'n^vtr he little^ njithich
is enough : Ner does at^ Man aaottnt that to he mucif
which is too little. The Benefits of Fcrtane are fo hs
comfortable to us, as we enjoy them without lofing the
Pofleffionofoorfdves, Let us purge our Minds, and
fdlow Nature ; we ihall otherwife be ilill^ither fearing
or cravine, and Slaves to Accidents. Not that there is
any Fieaiure in Poverty, but it is a great Felicity for a
Man to brii^ his Mind to be contented even in that State,
which Fortune icfelf cannot make worfe. Methioks onr
•Quarrels with Ambition, and profitable Employments,
iftre fome what like thofe we have with our MiftrefiTes ; we
^o not hate them, but wrangle with them. In a Word,
betwixt thofe Things which are fought and coveted and
yet complained of; and thofe Things which we have
loft, and pretend that we cannot live without, our Mif-
ibrtunes are purely voluntary : And we are Servants, not
(o much by Neceifity, as by Choice. No Man can be
happy that is not htt, and fearle/s : And no Man can
be fo, but he, that by Philofophy has got the better of
Fortune. In what Place foever we are, we IhaU* find
.ourfelves befet with the Miferies of human Nature; fome
without us; that either encompais us, deceive us, or
force us : Others within us, that eat up our very Hearts,
in the Middle of Solitude. And it is not yet, as we
imagine, that Fortune has long. Arms ; (he meddles with
no Body that does not firft lay hold upon her. We
fliould keep a Diftance therefore, and withdraw into the
Knowledge of Nature, and of ourfelves : We underftand
the Original of Things ; the Order of the World, the
Circulation of the Seafons, the Courfes of the Stars, and
that the whole Frame of the Univerfe (only the Earth
excepted) is but a perpetual Motion. We know the
Caufes of Day and Night ; of Light and Darkncfs ; but

EPISTLES-

33S

k 18 at a Diftance : Let as direSt oar Thoughts then to
that Place where we (hall fee all nearer Hand. And, it
is not this Hope. neither, that makes a wife Man refolute
at the Point of Death, becaufe Death lies in his way to
Heaven ; for, the Soul of a wife Man is there before-
hand : Nay, if there were nothing after Death to be
either expeded or feared, he would yet leave this World
with as great a Mind, though he were to pafs into a
•State of Annihilation.' He that reckons every Hoar his
laft, a Day or an Age is all one to him. Fate is do.
ing oar Work while we fleep ; Death deals upon us in-
fenfibly ; and the more infenfibly, becaufe it pa0es under
the Name of Life. From Childhood we grow up with-
out perceiving it, to Old Age ; and this Increafe of oar
Life, duly oonfidered, is a Diminution of it. We take
Death to be before us, but it is behind us ; and has al-
ready fwallowed up all that is. pail : Wherefore make
ufe of the prefent ; and truft nothing to the Morrow ;
for Delay is jail fo much Time loft. We catch hold of
Hopes and Flatteries of a little longer Life ; as drowning
Men do upon Thorns, or Straws, that either hurt us or
deceive us. Yoa will afk, perhaps, what I do myfelf,
that preach at this Rate. IVuly, I do like fome ill Huf<
bands, that fpend their Eftates, and yet keep their Ac-
counts : I run out ; but yet I can tell which Way it goes.
And I have the Fate of ill Huibands too, another way ;
for every Body pities me, and no Body helps me. The
Soul is never in the right Place, fo long as it fears to quit
theBody. Why (hould a Man trouble himfelf to extend
Life, which, at beft, is a kind of Punilhment ; and at
longed, amounts to very little more than nothing ? He
is ungrateful, that takes the Period of Pleafure for an
Injury; and he is foolifh, that knows no Good but the
prefent. Nay, there are fome Courfes of Life, which
a Man ought to quit, though with Life itielf : As the
Trade of killing others, inflead of learning to die him-
felf. Life itfelf is neither good nor evil ; but only a
Place for GoodandEvil : It is a kind of Tragi-Comedy,
Let it be well a£ted, and no Matter whether it be long or
fhort. We are apt to be mifled by the Appearances of
Things, and when they came to as recommended in
good Terms, and by great Example, they will impolb

J36 EPISTLES.

many Times upon very wife Men. The Mind is never
right, but when it is at Peace within icfelf, and indc^
pendent Upon any I'htng from abroad. The Soul is in
Heaven, even while it is in the FJefli ; if it be purged <^
sataral Corroptionsy and taken up with divine Thoughts:
And, whether any Body fees us, or takes Notice of us,
it matters not. Virtue wiil of itfelf break forth> though
never {(f much Pains be taken to fupprefs it. And it is
all one, whether it be known or no : But After-ages
however will do us Right, when we are dead, and infen-
Able of the Veneration they allow us. He that is wife,
will compute the Conditions of Humanity ; and contrad
the Subjc£l both of his Joy and Fears. And it « Time
well fpent, fo to abate of the one, that he may likewiie
dimini(h the other. By this Practice he will come to
underHand, how (hort, how uncertain, and how fafe,
many of ihofe Things are, which we are wont to fear.
When J fee a fplcndid Houfe, or- a glittering Train,
I look upon it, as I do upon Courts, which are only
Schools of Avarice and Ambition ; and -they are at bell
but a Pomp which is more for Shew than Pofleffion.
Beiide that, great Goods are feldom long-lived ; and
that is the fairelt Felicity, which is of the ihorteft
Growth.

EPISTLE XIX.
0/ true Courage*

FORTITUDE is (properly) tbeCentempi tf all Ha-
xards^ according to Rea/on ; though it be common-
ly and promifcuoufly ufed alfo, for a Contempt of all
Haxards^ I'ven Without or againji Reafon : Which \%
rather a daring or a brutal Fiercenefs, than an honour-
able Courage. A brave Man fears nothing more than
the Weaknefs of being affeOed with popular Glory. His
Eyes are not dazzled either with Gold or Steel ; he
tramples upon all the Terrors and Glories of Fortune ;
he looks upon himfelf as a Citizen and Soldier of the
World, and, in defpite of all Accidects add Oppoiitions«

7

E P I S T' L E S. 3*57

he maintains his Station. He dees nojt only foffer, but
court the xnoft perilous Occafions of Virtue, and thofe
Adventures whkh aie moft terrible to others ; for he
values himielf upon Experiment; and is more ambitious
of being reputed good, than happy* Mucius ' loft bis
Hand with more Honour than he could have preferved
it : He was a greater Conqueror without it, than he
could have been with it : For with the vtry Stump of it,
he overcame two Kings, Tarquin and Por/tnna, RuiUia
' followed Cetia into Banilhment; (he flayed, and. (he re-
turned with him too ; and foon after fhe loft him, with-
out fo much as'fliedding a Tear : a great Inftance of her
Courage, in his Banifhment ; and of her Prudence, in his
Death. This (fays Epicurus) is the laft, and the blefTed-
eft Day of my Life ; when he was ready to expire in an
extreme Torment of the Stone. It is never faid of the
three hundred Fabiu that they were ovtrccme^ but that
they vitTtJ!ain ; nor of Rigulus^ that he was vanquijhed
' by the Carthagimanti but tha^ he was tahn. The Spar^^
tans prohibited all Exerciies where the Vidtory was
declared by the Voice and Submiflion of him that was
worfted. When Phaeton begged of Phabui the Govern-
ment of the Chariot of the Sun for one Day, the Poets
znake him fo far from being difcouraged by his Father's
telling him of the Danger of the Undertaking* and how
he himfelf had much ado to keep his Seat for Fear, when
he looked down from the Meridian, that it proved a Spur
to his Importunity. 7kat it the ^bing (fays Phaeton) that
I njjould be at ; to ftand firm in that Difficulty ^ nuhere
Phoebus him/elf trembles. Security is the Caution of nar-
row Minds : fiut as Fire tries Gold,'fo does Diiliculty
and Hazard try virtuous Men. Not but that he may be
as valiant that watches upon the Tower, as he that fights
upon his Knees ; only the one has had the good Fortune
of an Occafion for the Proof of his Refolution. As fome
Creature: are cruel ; others crafty, and fome timorous %
fo Man is endued with a glorious, and an excellent Spi«
rit, that prompts him, not fo much to regard a fafe Life,
as an honed. Providence has made him the Mailer of
this lower World ; and he reckons it his Duty to facri*
fice his own Particular to the Advantage of the whole.
And yet there are a yaft DifFerence« even in tlie &me

jj* B F I S T 1/ E S. i

\

AQioii dooe by a bnve Perlbny and by a ftopid : as tlie 4
Death of Caf§^ was hononrable ; Irat that of Brmius was
fliameful. Nor is it Death itfelf that we reooinm«id for
gioriotts ; bat it is a glorious Thing to die as we ought.
Ndther is it Pbverty, 5aiii(hnient» or Pain, that we com-
nend ; but the Mau that behaves himielf bravely under
thofe Afiid^ioDS* How were the Gladiators contemned
that called for Quarter f And thofe on the other Side
favoured, that defpifed it. Many a Man iaves his lMe»
by not fearing to lofe it; and nulny a Man Ic^es his
Life, for being over-iolicicous to'iave it» We are many
Tinses afraid of dying by one Thing ; and we oome to
4ie by another. As tor Example ; we are threatned by
an Enemy, and we die by a Plenrify. I'he Fear <^ Death
enlarges all other Things that we fear. To bear it with
Con&ncy^ we ihoold compute, that whether our Lives
be longy or ihort» it comes all to a Point : Some Hours
we lote ; what if they were Days, Months, Years ? What
matters it if I never arrive at that which I moft certainly
part with when I have it i Life is but one Point of flying
Time ; and that which b to come is no more mine, than
that which is paft. And, we have this for our Comfort
too, that whoibever now fears Death, will» fbme Time
or other, come to wifh it. If Death be troubleibme or
terrible ; the Fault is in uty and not in Dtaih it/elf. It
IS as great Madnefs for a Man to fear that which he is
Aot to feel> as that which he is not to fuffer ; the Difie-
Tence lies in the Manner of dying, and not in the Ifliie
of Death itfelf. It is a more inglorious Death to be
fmothered with Perfumes, than to be torn to Pieces with
Pincers. Provided my Mind be not fick, I ihall not
much heed my Bodyi I am 'prepared for my laft Hour,
without tormenting myfeif when it will come. It is be-
twixt the Stoich and ctber Pbih/ophiriy as betwixt Men
and Women ; they are both equally neceflary for So-
ciety ; only the one is born for Government, and the
other for Subjedion. Other Seds deal with their Dit
ciples, as plauiible Phyiidans do with their Patients ;
they flatter and humour them ; whereas the Stoicis go a
bolder Way to work, and cohiider rather their Profit,
than their Pleafure.

L

EPISTLES^ 55^

EPISTLE XX.

iSr is never too lale to learn* The Advantages of a
private Lifi ; and the Slaver]^ of a public* The
Ends of runijbments*

LE T no Man prefume to advife others, that has not
firft given good Counfel to hknfelf; and he may
tken pretend to help his Neighbour* It is, in fhort, as
hard a Matter to give eood CoanM, as to take it : Let
it however be agreed, betwixt the two Parties, that the
Okie defigns to confer a Benefit, and the other to receive
if. Some People fcorn to be tanght ; others are afhamcd
of it, as they would be of going to School when they
are old : Bat it is never too late to learn what it is always
neceiTary to^know ; and it is ho Shame to learn, Co long
as we are ignorant ; that is to fay, fo long as we live.
When any Thing is amifs in our Bodies, or Eflates, we
have Recoarle prefently to the Phyfician, or the Lawyer
for Help : And why not to the Philofopher, in the Dif-
orders of our Mind ? No Man lives, but he that applies
himfelf to f^i/dom ; for he takes into his own Life the
Supplement of all pad Ages. It is a fair Step towards
Happinefs and VirtaCj to delight in the Converfation of
eood and of wife Men : And where that cannot be had^
the next. Point is, to keep no Company at all. Solitude
affords Bufinefs enough ; and the Entertainment is com-
fortable and eafy* Whereas public Offices are vexa<p
tious and reftlefs. There is a great Difference betwixt a
Life, of Leifnre, and of Lazinefs. When People will
exprefs their Envy of a Man in a happy Condition ; they
will (ay, He lives at bis Eo/e, When in truth, the Man
is dead, ali*ve. There is a kng Life, and there is a long
Death: The former, when we enjoy the Benefits of a
right Mind i and the other, when the Senfes are extin-
guifhed ; and the Body dead before hand. He that makes
me the Mailer of my own Time, and places me in a State
of Freedom, lays a great Obligation upon me. Asa
Merchant, that has a confiderable Fortune abroad, is
more feniible of the Bleffing of a fair Wind and fafc

J40 EPISTLES.

PaiTage, than he that has only Ballafl, or fome coarfe
Commodity in the Veffel : So that Man that employs bis
Privacy upon Thoughts divine and preciou*, is more
fcnfible of the Comfort of that Freedom, than he that
bends his Meditation an ill Way. For, he confi'ders all
the Benefits of his Exemption from common Duties, he
enjoys hi mfeif with infinite Delij^ht, and makes his Gra-
titude anfwerable to his Obligations. He is the beft of
Subje^s, and the-happiefl of Men ; and he lives to Na-
ture and to hi mfeif. Mod Men are to themfelves the
worft Company they can keep. If they be good, quiet,
and temperate, they are as good alone, as in Company:
But if otherwife, let them converfe with others* and
avoid themfelves: But, he that has made htoiielf good
Company, can never be too much alone. Many a Ship
is loft in the Harbour, but more in the Ocean ; as many
an honed Man is condemned, but more guilty, l^his
however is certain, he that cannot (ecure himfelf in
Privacy, fhall be much more expofed in Public. That
which the World calls Felicity, is greedy itfelf, and ex-
posed to the Greedinefs of others. Profperity, like a
fair Gale, upon a ftrong Current, carries a Man in a
Trice, out of the very Sight of Peace and Quiet ; and
if it be not tempered, and regulated, it is fb far from
cafing us, that it proves an Oppreffion to us. A bufy
and a fortunate Man in the World, c lis many Men his
Friends, that are at beft but his Guefts. And if People
flock to him ; it is but as they do to a Fountain, which
they both exhauft and trouble.

What greater Slavery can there be, than that of
PiiiKcs in this very refped, that they are chained to
their Poft, and cannot make themfelves lefs ? All their
Words and Adions are defcanted upon, and made pu-
blic Difconrfe; and there are many Things allowable to
ft privax Man, that are not fit for a Governor. 1 can
walk alone where 1 pleafe ; without a Sword, without
Fear, and without Company; whereas a Prince mud bs
armed in Peace, and cannot with Dignity quit his Guards.
Fortune has him in Cuflody ; a Train befets him where-
ever he goes ; and there, is no making of any Efcape.
He is little better than nailed to his Place, and it is the
Pcrre^iion of hi§ Mife^ that h$ catj^ot go lefe. H^ ^aa

EPISTLES. 341

no more conceal himfelf, than the Sun in«>the Firma-
Bient; whereas his Subjefls may come and go, change
Habits and Humour, wiihput being taken notice of. Ser-
vitude IS the Fate of Palaces ; the Splendor of a Crowa
draws all Mens Eyes upon it. When Cafar fpeaks, the
whole World hears his Voice, and* trembles at his Dif-
pleafure ; and where it falls, it (hakes whatfoever is near
it. His Lips are the Oracles of the People ; and Go-
vernment is the Cement that binds them together : But
ftiU he that is Matter of many, is the Servant yet of more.
The Power, it is true, of all Things belongs to the
Prince ; but the Property, to particular Pcrfons, and the
fame Thing may be both yours and mine in feveral re*
fpeds. We cannot iay that a Son, or a Servant, has
nothing, becauie a Mailer, or a Father may take it away
if he will ; or that he cannot give willingly, becaufe he
may binder it, whether he wilier no* ihis is Ponjoet^
andirue Domiriion : end not to rule and command, nvhen
ive may do it *when <uje plea/e. The Strength of a Prince
is in the Love of his People ; for there is nothing fo great,
hut it mull itfelf peri(h ; when it is. become the common
Safety that it fhould be fo; Tyrants arelhatbd, becaufe
they are feared ; and becaufe they are hated, they will
he feared. They are rendered odious to Poilerity ; and
they had better never have been born, than to Hand upon
Record for the Plagues of Mankind. Miferable is that
People, where their very Keepers are their Executioners*
And, it is not an armed Tyranny neither, but the un«
Acmed Vices of Avarice, and Envy, that we ought to be
mofl afraid of. Some will not endure to have their.Vicea
touched, but will ihrink and ftruggle under the Opera-
tion, as if they were under the Hand of a Surgeon. But,
this (hall not hinder me from launching and piobing, be-
caufe of the Cries and Groans of the Patient. Every
Man fliould have a Mof.itor at his Elbow, to keep him
from Avarice, by (hewing him how rich a Man he may
be with a little : from Ambition, by reprefenting the
Difputes and Hazards that accompany Greatnefs ; which
makes him as great a Burden to others, as he is to him-
felf. When it comes to that once ; Fear, Anxiety, and
WearinefB, makes us Philofophers. A iickly Fortune

0.3

,34' EPISTLES.

.prodacet wholfeme Coqoiels ; and we reap this Fruit
from our Adverfity, that it brings us at hH to Wif>
dom.

Now thoDgh Clemency in a Prince be ib nece£ary
.and profitable a Virtue; and Cruelty ib dangerous an
Exceis ; it 18 yet the Office of a Governor, as of the
Mafler of an Fiofpital, to keep fick and mad Men in
Order : And, in Cafes of Extremity, the very Mem-
ber i& to be cut off with the Ulcer.- All Puniflinieiit
.is either for Amendment, or for Example, or that othen
may live more (ecure. What is the End of dedroyiog
thofe poifonous, and dangerous Creatures, which are
never to be reclaimed, but to prevent Mifchief ? aod
yet there may be as much Haauu'd in doing too mucby
as too little. A particalar Mutineer may be ptinifiied,
but when the whole Army is in a Revolt, there moll be
a general Pardon. The Multitude of Offenders, is cheir
Security and Prote^on : For there is no qoarreling
with a ^blic Vice, where the Cuftom of offeiiding takes
away the Shame of it : and it is not prodent neither,
by many Punifhments to ihew a City, that tkc Wicked
are fo much the major Part : Befide, that it is a» great
.a Dishonour for a Prime to have many Execatiom, as
for a FhyficioM to have many Funerals. Shall a Father
.^tifinherit a Son lor the firft Offence ? Let him firft ad-
jnonifh, then threaten, and afterward ponifh him. So
Jong as there is hope, we fliould apply gentle Remedies.
But fbme Nations are intra^ble, and neither wUhng
fo {ttvt^ nor fit to command ; and fome Perfbns arc
incorrigible too.

♦.

♦

1 .

XBISTLES. 143

EPISTLE XXI.

r
\

Tbi two Buffings $f Life art a found Boijf and
a quiet Mtnd. The Extravagance of the Roman
Luxury* The Moderation and Simplicity of for-'
nur Times,

EPICUR US makes the two Bleflings of Life, to be
' Otfiani Body, and a quitt Mind : Which is only a
compendioas Redudlion of haman Felicity to a State of
Healthy and of Virtue. The Way to be happy is, to
make Vice not only odious, but ridiculous ; and erery
Man to mind his own Bufinefs ; for he that torments
himfelf wiCh other People's Misfortunes, fhall never be
at reft» A Yif taou9 Life mud be alt of a piece ; and not
^advance by Starts and Intervals, and then go on where
it lefti for this is lolingof Ground. We are to prefs
and perfevere; for the main Difficulties are yet to come.
If I difconttnue my Courfe, when (hall 1 come to pro-
nounce theie Words^ 1 am a Conqueror ? Not a Con-
queror of barbarous Enemies, and favage Nations : bat
\ have fubdued Avarice, Ambition, and thofe Lufb that
have fubjeded even the greatefl of Conquerors. Who
was a greater than Alexander ^ that extended his Empire
from fbracia^ to the outmoft Bounds of the Eaft f But
yet he burnt PerfcfoUs at the Requeft of a ProfHitue^ to
gratify his Luft* He overcame Darius^ and flew many
Thoufands of the Perfians ; but yet he murdered Califi'^
Jtenes : And that fingle Blot has tarnifhed the Glory of
all his Viflories. All the Wiflies of Mortals, and all the
Benefits which we can eithc^r give or receive, are of very
little Conducement to a happy Life. Thofe Things
which the common People gape after, are tranfitory and
vain. Whereas Happinefs is permanent ; nor is it to
beredimated by Number, Meafure, or Parts; Fbr it is
fully and perfe6k. I do not fpeak as if I myfelf were
arrived at that blefled State of Repoie : But it is fbme-
thing yet to be on the mending hand. It is with me,
as with a Man that is creeping out of a Difeafe ; he feels

34^ EPISTLES.

yet ibme Gradging$ of it ; he is every Foot examining
of his Pulfc ; - and fufpeds every Touch of Heat to be
a Reliqoe of his. Fever. Jufl: at that Rate, I am jealous
of myfelf. The bed Remedy that I know in this Cafe,
isy to go on with Con6dence, and not to be mifled l^
the Errors of other People. It is with our Manners, as
with o IT Healths ; it is a Degree of Virtue, the Abate-
ment of Vice; as it is a Degree of Health, the Abate-
ment of a Fit.

Some place their Happinefs in Wealth; (bme in the
Liberty of the Body ; and others in the Pleafures of the
Senfe, and Palate. But, what are Metals, Taites, Sounds,
or Colours, to the Mind of areafonable Creature? He
that fets his Heart upon Riches, the very Fear of Pover-
ty i\ill be grievous to him. He that is ambitious, (hall
be galled with Envy at any Man that gets before him :
For, in that Cafe, he that is not Hril, is latt. i do not
fpeak againft Riches neither; for if they hurt a Man, it
is his own Folly. They maybe indeed the Caufeof
Mifchief ; as they are a Tempt^ition to thofe that do it«
Inflead of Courage, they may infpire'us with Arrogance;
and inihad of Greatnefs of Mind, with Iniblence, which
is, in Truth, but the Counterfeit of Magnanimity. What
is it to be a Priibner, and in Chains ? It is no more thaa
that Condition to which many^Princes have been redu"
ced ; and out of which, many Men have been advanced
to the Authority of Princes. It is not to fay, I ha^ue tu
MaJIer; in Time you may haveoae. Might not Hecuba^
Crafus^ and the Mother of Darius have faid as much ?
And where is ^he Happinefs of Luxury either \ when a
Man divides his Life betwixt the Kitchen, and the Stews;
betwixt an anxious Confcience, and a nau&ous Stomach \
Caligula, who was born to (hew the World what Mif-
chief might be done by a Concucrence of great Wicked-
nefs, and a great Fortune ; fpent near 10,000/. Sterling
upon a Supper. The Works and Inventions of it were
prodigious, not only in the counterfeiting of Nature^ .
but even in the furpaifing it. The Romans had their
Bropks even in their Parlours, and found their Dinners
under their Tables. The Mullet was reckoned ilale,
unlcls it died in the Hand of the Gued : And they had
their Glares to put them into, that they might the

EPISTLES.

345.

l>etter obferve all the Changes and Motions of them in
the laft Agony betwixt Life and Death. So that they fed
their Eyes before their Bodies. Look boiv it reddens,
iays one, t&ere is no Vermillion liie it, T^ke notice, of
thtfe Veins ; and that fame grey Bright nefs upon the Head
of it\ And noiv he is at his laft Gafp : fee honjo pale ht
turnsy and all of a Colour, Thefe People would not have
given themfelves half this Trouble with a dying Friend 5
nay, they would leave a Father or a Brother^ at his lail
Hour, to entertain themfelves with the barbarous Specr
tacleof an expiring FiQ)« And that which enhances the
Efteem of every Thing, is the Price of it : Infomuch,
that Water itfelf, which ought to be gratuitous, is ex-
pofed to Sale, in their Confer vatories of Ice and Snow.
Kay, we are troubled that we cannot buy Breath, Light 5
and that we have the Air itfelf ^rtf//i ; as if our Condi-
tions were evil, becaufe Nature has left fomething to us
in common. But Luxury confrives Ways to fet a Price
upon the mod necefTary and communicable Beneiits in
Nature : Even thofe Benefits which are free to Birds and
Beafts, as well as to Men : and ferve indifferently for
- the Uie of the moll fluggifh Creatures. But, how comes
it that Fountain- water is not cold enough to (txvt us,
unlefs it be bound up inco Ice ? So long as the Stomach
is found, Nature difcharges her Fundlions without
Trouble: But, when the Blood comes to be inflamed
with Excefs of Wine, or Meats, fimple Water is not cold
enough to allay that Heat ; and we are forced to make ,
ufe of Remedies, which Remedies themfelves are Vices.
We heap Suppers upon Dinners, and Dinners upon Sup-
pars, without Intermiffion. Good God! howeafyja
it to quench a found and an honeft Third ? But, when
the Palate is grown callous, we tafte nothing ; and that
which we take for Thirft, is only the Rage of a ^twtr.
HippGcratei delivered it as an ^phorifm, that Women iverg
ne^er hald, nor g^^u/y^ hut in one fwgular Cafe, Women
• have not altered their Nature fince, but they have
changed the Courfe of their Lives j for, by taking the
'Liberties of Men, they partake as well of their Difeafes,
as of their Wickednefs. They fit up as much, drink as
much ; nay, in their very Appetites they arc mafoiline

346 EPISTLES.

coo ; chqr hare loft the Advantage of their Sex, by their
Vicei.

OvR Anceftors, when they were free, lived either in
Caves or Arboors ; bat Slavery came in with Gildings,
and with Marble. I would have him that comes into
my Houfe, take more Notice of the Mafler, than of die
Furnitare. The golden Age was before Archice^ore :
Arts came in with Luxury, and we do not hear of any
Phitofbpher, that was either a Loci/mith, or a PainStr,
Who was the wifer Man, think you, he that invented
a Saw ; or the other, who, upon feeing a Boy drink
Water out of the Hollow of hi^ Hand, brake his Pitcher,
with this Check to hiirfclf j fVbat a Fool am /, to trouhli
m^elfiLith Superfluities ? Carving is one N^an s Trade ;
Cooking is another's : Only he is more miferable that
teaches it for Pleafure, than he that learns it for Necef-
£ty. It was Luxury, not Philofophy, that invented
Ftih-pools, as jvell -as Palaces : Where, in cafe of font
Weather at Sea, (hey might have Fifhes to fupply their
Gluttony in Harbour. We do not only pamper our
Luils, but provoke them, as if we were to learn the very
Artof Voluptuoufnefs. What was it but Avarice, that
originally brake the Cnion of Society, and proved the
Caufe of Poverty, even to thofc that were the moft weal-
thy ? Evci y Man poiTefTed all, till the World came to
appropriate PofTeflions to themfelves. In the fird Age,
I^ature was both a Law, and a Guide, and the beji go-
verned : which was but according to Nature too. The
largefl and the (Irongeft Bull leads the Herd ; "the good*
lieft £lephant \ and, among Men too, in the blefTed 7'imes
of Innocence, the bell was uppermoft. They chofc
Governors for their Manners ; who neither a^ed any
Violence, nor fuifered any. They proteded the weak
againd the mighty v ^ild perfuaded, or diifuaded, as they
fiiw Occafion. Their Prudence provided for their Peo-
ple ; their Courage kept them fafe from Dangers ; their
bounty both fupplied, and adorned their Subjeds. It
was a Du^y then to commund^ not a GoverMmint. No
Man, ii\ tri(<ie Days, had either a Mind to do an Injury,
or a Cauie for it. He that commanded well, was well
obeyed : And the word Menace that Governors coold
then make to the Difobedicnt, was^ to forfake them.

T ----

E P r S T i ff S. J47

Bot with the Corruption of Times* Tyranny crept Jn,
and the World began to have need of Laws; and tlibfe
Laws were made by wife Men too, as Solortf and Ly»
€urgus^ who learned their Trade in the School of Pytba^

EPISTLE XXIL

MAnh compounded of S^ul and Bddy ; and has na^
turally <i civil War within himjolf* The Diffi*
renci betwixt a Life of Virtite^ and a Life of
PUajUre^

THERE Is not fa dlfproportionate a Mixture in any
Creature, as that in Man, of Soul and Body.
There is Intemperance joined with Divinity ; Folly, with
Severity ; Sloth, with Adtivity ; and Uncleannefs with
Purity, But a good Sword is never the worfe for an ill
Scabbard. We are moved tnore by imaginary Fears,
than Truths ; foi* Truth has a Certainty, and Founda-
tion ; but in the other, we are expofsd to the Licence,
and Conjedlure of a diftrafled Mind ; and our Enemies
are not more imperious, than our Pleafures. We fet our
Hearts upon tJ-anfitory Things ; as if they themfelves
were evedailing ; or we. On the other Side, to pofTefs
them for ever. Why do we not rather advance our
Thoughts to Th'ngs that are eternal, and contemplate
the heavenly Original of all Beings ? ^ Why do we not,
by th« Divinity of Reaibn, triumph over the Weakneflea
of Flefli, and Blood ? It is by Providence that the Worid
is preferved; and not froip'any Virtue in the Matter of
it ; for the World is as mortal as we are; only the y^/-
migbty yf'ifdcm carries it fafe through all the Motions of
Corruption. And fo by Prudence, human- Life iifelf
may be prolonged ; if we will but ftint ourfelVes iftthofe
Pleafures, that bring the greater Part of us untimely to
our End. Oar Pafilons are nothing' elfe,. but certain
difallowable Motions of the Mir.d ; fadden, and eager ;
which, by Frequency, and Neglcft, turn to i Difeafe,
its a Dift.llation brings firft to Cough, and then to a
Phthific. We are carried up to the Heavens, and dowa

0.6

34* EPISTLES.

again into tfc« Deep, !>y Turns ; fo long as we are go*
vcrned by our Affedtions, and not by Virtue : Paffioo
and Reafon are a Kifid of civil War within us : and as
the one or the other has Dominion^ we are either good
or bad. So that it ihould be our Care, that the worft
Mixture msiy not prevail. And they are linked like the
Chain of Caufes and Effefis, one to another ; betwixt
violent Paffioa, and a Fin£luatioA Or Wambling of the
Mind, there is fuch aDifierence* as betwixt the Agita-
uon of a Storm, and all the naufeous Sicknefs of a Cali^.
And they have all of them their Symptoms too, as well
as our bodily Didempers : They that are troubled with
the Fa1iing*ficknefs, know when the Fit is a coming, by
the Cold of the extreme Parts ; the Dazzling of the
Eyes ; the Failing of the Memory ; the Trembling of
the Nerves, and the Giddinefs of the Head : So that
every Man knows his own Difcafe, and ihould'providc
againftit. Anger, Love, Sadneis, Fear, may be read in
tlie Countenance ; and fo may the Virtues too. Fortitude
nvakes* the Eye vii^orous j Prudence makes it intent ;
Reverence, ihews ftfelf in Modelly ; Joy, in Serenity ;
and Truth, in Openncfs and Simplicity. There are
ibwn the Seeds of divine Things in mortal Bodies. If
the Mind be well cultivated, the Fruit anfwers the Ori-
ginal ; and, if not, all runs into Weeds, We are all of
us i)ck of curable Difeafes ; and it cods us more to be
miferable, than would make us perfe6Hy hapny; Con-
fider the peaceable State of Clemency, and the Turbu-
Jency of Anger ; the Softnefs and Quiet of Mo^efty, and
the Reilleflhefs af Lull. . How cheap and eafy to us is
the Service of Virtue, and how dear we pay for our
Vices ! The fovereign Good of Man, is a Mind that Tub*
jcfts all Things to ijtlelf; and.is iifelf fubjeft to nothing:
His Pie 3 Aires are modeft, fevere, and relerved; and
j-ather the Sauce or the Diverfion of Life, than, the Ei|-
tertainment of it. It may be fome Queftion, whether
fuch a Man goes to Heaven, or Heaven comes to him:
For a good Man is influenced by God himfelf:.and has
a K-ind of Divinity within him. ' What if one good Maja
lives i,n Pleafure and Plenty, and anpthei: in Want and
Mifery ? Jt is no Virtue, to contemn Superfluities, but
NeceiEjies; And they are both of thcnj equally good,

3 '^

£ B I S T L E 8« 349

thouglt under {evvral Ctrcamftances, and in different

Stations Cato (the Cen/or) waged War with the Manners

oi Rome : Scipto with the Enemies, Nay, bating the

very Confcienceof Virtue; who is ther^ that, upon (b*

ber Thoughts, would not be an honeft Man, even for the

Reputation of it ? Virtue you Hiall find in the Temple^

in the Field, or upon the. Walls, covered with Dull, and

Blood, in the Defence of the Public. Pleafures you (ha)!

find fneaking in the Stews, Swe^ting-houfes, powdered

and painted, ^c. Not that Pleafures are wholly to be

difclaimed, but to be ufed with Moderation, and to be

made fubfervient to Virtue. Good Manners always

pleafe us ; but Wickednefs is reftlefs, and perpetually

changing ; not for the better, but for Variety. ' We are

torn to Pieces betwixt Hopes and Fears; by; which

Means, Providence (which is the greated Bleffing of

Heaven) is turned into a Miichief. Wild Beaib, when

they fee their Dangers, fly from them ; land when they

have efcaped them,, they are quiet : But wretched Man

is equally tormented, both with Things pad, and to

come; for the Memory brings back the Anxiety of our

paft Fears, and our ( Foreflght anticipates the future :

Whereas the prefent makes no Man miferable. J/tASg

fear all Things that are foJJihUy im live nmtbout atr^

MounJs to our Mi/eries*

EPISTLE XXIII.

,We abufe Go^s BleJfirtgSy and turn thim into Mtf"

chiefs. Meditations upon $he Horrors of Earth^'

'qttakes^ and Confolations againfi them* Death \s

the fame Thing which Way foever it comes : Only

we are moved by Accidents that we are not ufed ttu

THERE is nothing fo profitable, but it may bie
perverted to an Injury. Without the Ufe of the
• Wiuds^ how (hould we do for Commerce ? Befide that,
they keep the Air fwcct, and healthful, and brirtg
feafonable Rains upon the Earth. - It was n.ever the Ii>.
tent of Providence, that they fhould be employed for
War« and DevaHatton ; and yet that is a great Part of

9fo X P 1.8 This.

the Ufe we makeof then : Puffaing one Hazard Aroogli
anothery we expofe oarftlvct to Tempefis, . and . to
J>eath, wtthowt (6 much as the Hope of: a Sepulchre,
iind all this might be borne too, if we only ran thefe
lUikty in order to Peace ; bat when we have efcaped Co
many Rocks and Flats, Thonder and Storms, what is the
JFmit of all our Labour and Terror ? It is only War;
and to burn and ravage, as if the Earth were not
large enough for the bccneof oarDeftra£tion, Whereas
we might live and die at Bale, if we -had a Mind to it :
«nd draw ont our Lives in Security, Why do we pre&
our own Dangers then, and provoke our Fates ? What
do we look for ? Only Death ; which is to be found ere-
ry where. It will find as in onr Beds, in our Chamber :
fiut, whertffoevrr it finds os, let it find us innocent.
What a Madnefs is it to parfue Miichieli ; to fail foul
npon thofe we do not know ; to be angry without a
Cauie ; to over*run whatibever is to our Way ; and, like
Beads, to kill what we have no Quarrel to f N^y. worfe
than Beails, we run great Hazards, only to bring us to
greater. We force our Way to Gold, without any Re-
gard either to God or Man. ijut, in all this, without any
Caoie of Complaint, we abufe the Benefits of God, and
turn them all into Miichiefs. We dig for Gold ; we leave
the Light, and abandon the Couries of a better Nature :
We defccnd, where we find a new Pc.fition of Things;
hideous C aves. hollow and hanging Rocks,> hnrrid Ki«
vers, a deep and perpetual Darknefs^ and not wuho it
the Apprehenfions even of Hell iiftlf. Hew little now,
and how inconfidetable are thole 1 hings thai Men ven-
ture for, with the Frice of their Lives f But to pals from
thofe Hazards that we may avoid, to others Mhich v^e
cannot As in the Cafe of Earthquakes^

In what Condition can any Man be fafe, when the
•World itfclf is ihaken ; and, the oidy '1 hii.g tlac pafles
for fixed and unmoveable in the (Jnivtife, t.embles,
and deceives us ? Whither fliall we fly fcr Security, if
wherefoever we are, the Danger be ftill unde. our Feet?
XJpon the cracking of a Houie, cvtry Man takef him-
self to his Heels, and leaves all to iave himfclf : But
what Retreat is there, where. that which Ihouid fupport
us, fails us } when the Foundation^ iiot only of Cities,

E P I S TLB S; 3(1

bat even of the World itfelf, opens, and wavers f
What^ Help, or what Comfort, where Fear itfelf can
never carry ns off? An Enemy may be' kept at a Di«
ftance with a Wall : A Caftle may p«t a Stop to ati
iArmy ; a Port may proted trs ftom the i^iiry of a Tern-
peft ; Fire stfelf does not follow him that runs away
from it; a Vaalt may defend us againft Thunder; and
we may (}uit the Place in a PefHlence : There is fome
Remedy m all thefe Evils. Or however, no Man ever
knew a whole Nation deftroyed ^with Lightning. A
Plague may unpeople a Town, but it will not carry it
away. There is no Evil of fuch an Extent/ fb inevi*
table, (b greedy, and To publickly calamitous as an Earth-
quake. For, it does not only devour Hoafes, Families,
or fingle Towns, but ruins whole Countries, and Na-
tions : Either overturning Or fwallowing them op, with-
out To much as leaving any Footdep or Mark of what
they were. Some People have a greater Horror for
this Death, than for any other. To^Se takin wway alivt^
out of thi Number of the Living ! As if all Mortals, by
what Means foever, were not to come to the fame Ena.
Nature has eminently this JufHce, that when we are all
dead, we are all alike. And it is not a Pin matter,
whether I be crufhed to Pieces by a Stone, or by a
whole Mountain ; whether 1 perifh by the Fall of a
Houfe, or under the Burden of the whole Earth; whe-
ther 1 be fwallowed up alone, or with a I'houfand more
for Company. What does it iignify to me, the Noife
and Difcourfe that is made about my Death; when
Death is every where, and in all Cafes the fame? We
.ihould therefore arm ourfelves againll that Blow, that
can neither to be avoided nor forefeen. And it is not
the forfwearing of thofe Places, that we find infelled,
with Earthquakes that will do our Bufinefs ; for there is '
no Place that can be warranted againft them* What if
the Earth be not yet moved ? It is ftill moveable; for
the whole Body of it lies under the fame Law, and ex-
pofed to Danger; only fome Part atone Time, and fome
at another. As in fome great Cities; where all the
Houfes are fubje£t to Ruin, though they do not all fall
together : So in the Body of the Earth; now this Part
falisj and then that. Tjn was formerly fubjedt to

4

11% E P I,S T L E S.

Earthquakes : In* 4fi^ twcire Cities were fwallowed np
in ft Night ; A.baia aiui Macedma have had their Tarns
and DOW Lampa^a^ The Fate goes round, and ftrikes
at laft where it has a great while pafied by« It falls by
ofteDCr^ it is true, in (omePlaces, than in others : But, no
place is totally free and exempt. And it is not only Men,
but Citiesy Coafts, nay> the Shores, and the very Sea
itfelf, that fufiers under the Dominion .of Fate. And
yet we are fo vain as to promife ourfelves fome Sort of
Aflurance in the Goods of Fortune : Never confidering^
that the very ground we ftand upon is unflable. An^
it is not the Frailty of this or that Place, but the Quali*^
ty of every Spot of it: For, not one Inch of it is fo com-
pared, as not to admit many Caafes of its Revolution,
and though the Bulk of the Earth remain entire, the
Parts of it may yet be broken.

Th ERE is not any Thing which can promife to itfeif a
lafling Quiet. And it is ho fmatl Comfort to us, the
Certainty of our Fate : For, it is a Folly to fear, where
there is a Remedy. He that troubles himfelf fooner than
he needs, grieves alfo more than is neceiTary. For the
fame Weaknefs, that makes him anticipate his Mifery,
makes him enlarge it too. The Wife fortify themfelves
by Reafon, and Fools by Defpair. That Saying which
was applied to a conquered Party under Fire and Sword,
might have been fpoken to all Mankind. 7hat Man />
iff fomi Sen/e out cf Danger^ that is out of Hope. He
that would fear nothing, fliould confider, that if he fears
any Thing, he muft fear every Thing* Our very Meat
and Drink, Sleeping and Waking, without Meafure, are
hurtful to us. Our Bodies are nice and weak; and a
fmall Matter does their Work. That Man has too high
an Opinion of himfelf, that is only afraid of Thunder,
and of Earthquakes. If he were confcious of his own
Jnfirmities, he would as much fear the being choaked
with his pwn Phlegm. What do we fee in ourfelves,
that Heaven and. Earth (hbuld join in a Diilemper to
procure our DiiTolution ; when the ripping of a Hang-
Dail is fufficient to diipatch us? We are afraid of Inun**
dations from the Sea, when a Glafs of Wine, if it goes
the wrong Way, is enough to fufFocate us. It is a great
Comfort in Death, the very Mortality itfeif. Wc crccj

EPISTLES. 353

under Ground for fear of Thunder, we dread the fud-
den Concuflions of the Earth, and the Rages of the Sea *,
when yet we carry Death in our own Veins, and it is at
Hand in all Places, and at all Times. There is no-
thing fo little, but it is of Force enough to bring us to our
laft End. Nay fo far ihould we be from dreading an
eminent Fate, more than a v^ulgar, that on the contrary,
iince die we mud, we fhould rather rejoice in the
breathing of our laft, under a more glorious Ciccumftance.
What if the Ground ftand ftill within its Bounds, and
without any Violence ? I (hall have it over me at lall %
and it is all one to me, whether I be laid under that, or
that lay itfelf over me: But it is a terrible 7birtg fir
the Earth to gapty and /^wallow a Mun up into a profound
jih^/s : And what then ? Is Death any eaficr above
Ground ? What Caufe have I of Complaint, if Nature
will do me the Honour to cover me with a Part of her-
felf ? Since we muil fall, there is a Dignity in the ytry
Manner of it, when the World itlelf is ihocked for Com-
pany. Not that I would wiih for a public Calamity ; but
It is fome Satisfadion in my Deaths that I fee the World
alfo to be mortal.

Ne ITH ER are we to take thefe extraordinary Revolu-
tions for divine Judgments; as if fuch Motions of the
Heavens, and of the Earth, were the Dcnouncings of
the Wrath of the Almighty; But they have their ordi-
nate, and their natural Caufes : Such d$> in Proportion,
we have in our own Bodies ; and while they (eem to adi a
Violence, they fufier it. But yet, fo.want of knowing
the Caufes of Things, they are dreadful to us ; and the
more fo, becaufe they happen but (eldom. But *why
4^re 'we commonly tnort afraid of that 'wbiik 'Wi are not
pffd to?^ecsLu{e we look upon Nature with our Eyes»
not with our Reafon *: rather computing what fhe ufually
does, than what fhe is able to da And we are panilh^
edfor this Negligence, by taking tbofe Things to which
we are not wonted, to be new and prodigious. The
Edipfes of the. Sun and Moon,' filazing-ftars, and Me-
teors, while .we admire them, vfc fear them ; and fmce
we fear them, becauie we do not underiiand them, it
is worth our while to ftudy them, that we may no
longer ^fear them. Why ihould I fear a Man> a BcsA,

J54 EPISTLE S.

An Afrow, oc z.htivmot ; when L^m expoTed to the En-
cooDter of greater Dangers? We are aflaulted by the
nobler Part of Nature icfelf ; by the Heavens^ by the
.SeaSy and the Xjand. OorBufinefs is therefore to defy
Death, wbecher extraordinary* or common. No Matter
for the Menaces of it, fo long as it afks no more of os
than Age itfelf will take from us; and every petty
Accident that be^s ns. if e that contemns Death, ivhat
does he care for either Fire or Water ; the very DiSSy
lution of the Univerfe : Or if the Earth (honld open oa-
der him, and (hew him all the Secrets of the infernal
Pit, he would look down without Trouble* Hi the
Place that we are all of us to go to» there are no Earth-
quakes, or Thttnder*clap8 ; no tempeftuous Seas; nei-
ther War nor Peftilence. /r H 4» JmmU Matttr ? Whf
i9 wi /tar it then f Is it a grtat Matter ^ Let it rather
'9mc$ fall uf9» cu, thorn alivtys hang over ar/« . Why
ftottld I dread my own End, when I know that an End I
muii have, and that all created Things are limited i

EPISTLE XXIV.

J Dlfaurfe of God's Prmdme^ in tbi Misfartunet
$f good Men in tins WorU% and in tbi Profftritf
rfthemckid.

YO U arfc troubled^ I pwceive, that your Servant ii
run away from you, bot 1 do not hear yet, Aat
you are either robbed or ftrangled, or poifoned, or be-
trayed, or accuied by him : So that you have eicaped
well, in comparifon with your Fellows* And, why
Ihould you compUin then, cfpecially under the Protec-
tion of fo gracious a Providence, as (offers no Man to be
miierabie, but by his own. Fault? Nor is this a Subjed
Worthy of a wife Man's- Conlideration. Adverfity indeed
is a terrible Thing in Sound and Opinion } and that is all.
'Some Men are batiiflied and ftripped of their Eftates; o-
thers again are poor, in Plenty^ (which is the baieft Sort
of fieggary.) Some are overborn by a popular Tumttlt»
^t breaks oat like a Tempeft> even in the bigheft S^

E P I S T L E S.

3*5

cority of a Calm ; or like a Thunder clap» that frights
all that are near it : There is but one ftruck, perhaps,
but the Fear extends to all ; and afFedts thofe that may
fuifefy as well as thofe that ^o. As in the DHcharge ef
. a Piece only with Powder ; it is not the Stroke, bat the
Crack that frights the Birds. Adverfity, I will grant
you, is not a Thing to be wiihed ; no more than War ;
but if it be my Lot to be torn with the Stone, broken
upon the Wheel, or to receive Wounds, or Maims; it
fhail be my Prayer that I may bear my Fortune as be- ^
comes a wife and an honeft Man. We do not pray for
Tortures, but for Patience ; not for War, but for Ge-
nerofity and Courage, in all the Extremities of a War,
if it happens. Afflidions, are but ihe Exercife of Vir-
'tue ; and an hooeft Man is out of his Element, when he
is idfe. It mufl be PradHce and Patience that perfects it*
Do we not fee how one Wreftler provokes another ?
And if he find him not to be his Match, he will call for
feme fiody to help him, that may pat him to all his ,
•Strength.

- It is a common Argument againft the Juftfce of Pro-
vidence, in the Matter of Re wsvd and Ponifliment, thi
Misfirtums of good Men in this Worlds and the Frtf"
^ftrity of ibe Wicked t But, it is an eafy Matter tO vindi-
cate the Caufe of the Gods. There are many Things that
we call Evil, which turn vei'y often to the Advantage of
thofe that fuffer them; or at lead, for the common
Good, whereof Providence has the greater Care. Anl
farther: they either befal thofe that bear them willing-
ly, or thofe that deferve them by their impatience nn-
der them : and latiy, they come by divine Appoint-
ment; and to thofe that are good Men, even for that
•very Reafon, becanie they are good. Nor is there any
Thing more ordinary, than for that which we ftared as
a Calamity, to prove the Foundation of our Happinefs.
How many are there in the. World that enjoy all Things
to their own Wifh,. whom God never thought worthy of
-a Trial? if it might be imagined that the AMtbty
ihould take off his Thought from the Care of his whofa
Work, wh^ more glorious Spe£Uc[e oouM he relieft
upon, than a valiant Man ftrug^ling with adverfe For-
tune; orGtfe'i fiandio| opri^ and oomovedf nnder

,/

35.6 B P I S T LE S,

tbe Shock of a public Ruin ? Let the whole l^^rld (^js
ht) fall into 9m$ Banel; emdittQ^i^LX enevmpqfs me loitb
hn Legioni if Lam/t his Shipping at Sea^ and bis Guards
4it tbe Gates i CatO nutll yet cut out his Way\ and tvitb
that H'eapon that 'was untainted^ even in tbe citiil I4'arf
gi've bim/ilf that Liberty^ mtbicb Fate denied to his Coitn*
try. Set upon the great Work thm, and deli<uer thy/elf
fr9m the Ciog of thy Humamty* Juba and Petreius have
already done this good Ofice one for tbe other j bf a gene^
reus Concurrent e of Refolutiom and Fate ; but CatO is a*
b^*ve Exotnple<t and does su mmb fcorn f ^afk his Death
of any Mam^ as bts Lfe. With what Joy ^\^ this great
Man contemplate Immortality; when he took his Book
and hi& Sword together ; and in cold Thoughts difpatch-
cd himfelf ! Let this fuffice of Cato^ whofe Virtye Pro-
vidence made ufe of to cope with all the Powers of the
Earth, f-lis Courage too^ delight in, and fought for all
OccaHons of Hazard ; keeping his Kye (lill upon the
End, without valuing the Difficulties of the PafTage. The
Sifilrance is one Fart of the Glory, and thougli one Man
nay eicape wiiboot VVoundsj ^et he is ftili more reve-
rendy and remarkabley that comes off bloody. The Ma-
lice of great Men is grievous, yoa will fay, and yet he
fupporied the Oppoiitions of Pompey^ Cajar^ and Crajfus*
It is tioubleibme to be reputfed. Vatinius was prefer*
ed before him. Frofpef ity (Ivews a Man but one Part of
human Nature. No body knows what fuch a Man is
^ood for: Neither in ^uth doeb he underftand himfelf.
Tor want of Experiment. Temporal Happinefs is for
weak and vulgar Minds ; but, the fubdumg of public
Terrors is a Work that is relerved for more generous
Spirits. Cal^outy is the Touch- iione of a brave Mind,
that reiblves to live and die free, and Mailer of itfelf*
The Combatant brings no Mettle into the Field that was
never battered; He that has lol> Blood, and yet keeps
his Stomach :.He that has bet/. ;.r.der his Enemy, and
woriied, and yet comes on again., and gathers Heart
from his Misfortunes ; that is the Man of Hope and
Couraee.

B^T, ;]s It not a very onjuft and a rigorous Fate that
^ood Men ihould be poor and friendlefs I AU this is no
mote, than the natural Work of Matter ^nd Form. Mm

EPISTLES. j^r

Souls are meanly principled : Btft, the^ goes more to
the making up of a brave Man, that -is to work out his
Way throngh DtfBcuUies and Storms. We are cohdema«
ed to terrible Encoanters; and becaofe we cannot,
according to the Coiufe of Natare» avoid them, we
have Facalties given us, that- wilL enable os to htsit -
them : Or at the worft, to have a Retreat ; if we will
not fight, we may fly. So that nothing is made more
eafy to us, than that which is moft neceflary to us, to
die. No Man is kept in the World. againfl his Will. Bat
Adveriity is the better for us all : for, it is God*s Mer*
cy, to (hew the World their Errors, and that the Things
they fear, and covet, arc neither good nor evil : being •
the common and proihif^uous Lot both of good Men and
bad. If they were good, only the Gooifhould enjoy
them : And if bad, only the Wicked (hould fufier them.
One Man is taken away in a Scuffle for a Wench, and
another in the Defence of his Country; and we find Sil-
ver and Gold, both in a Temple, and in the Stews.

Now to (hew you, that the Virtue which I affefl, is
not fo imaginary, and extravagant, as it is taken to be»
I will allow a wi(e Man to tremble, to turn pale;, nay,
and to groan too : And to fufFer all the AfFedtions of his
bodily Senfe, provided that he keep his Mind firm, and
free from Submiflion to his Body ; and that hedd not re-
t»ent of his Con(iancy, (which is in itfelf, fo great a Vir-
tue, that there J s fome Authority, even in a pertinaci-
ous Error ) If the Body be brought by £xerci(e, to the
Contempt of Bruifes and Wounds, how much moreeaftly
then may the Mind be fortified againft the AfTaults of
Fortune; and though perhaps thrown down, and trod
upon, yet recover it (elf; the Body muft have Meat, and
Drink, much Labour, and Pra£lice ; whereas the Food,
and the Bufinefs of the Mind is within itfelf; and Virtue
maintained without either Toil or Charge If you fay,
that ma^y Profcffors of Wifdom are wrought upon by
Menaces, and Mifchiefs; thffe, let me tell you, are but
I" roficient?, and not as yet arrived at the iitate of Wif.
dom ; they are not ftrong enough to praflife what they
know. It is With our Difpo(itions, as with our Clothes :
They will take fome Colours at one dipping : But o-
thcrs nauft be fepp^d ov^r aod over, b«fore they will

Sfff BrXSTLES.

imbibe then* AoA Co (br DHaptiaet, Aey mnft fotk,
•sd lie long before tbey take the Tindere. No Man
can receive an lojery, and not be moved at it ; Bnt yet
ht may keep bimfidf five from. Perturbations; and lb
far from beii^ troubkd at tbem» that he may make nfe
of than for the Experiment and Trid of his Virtoe ;
keeping himfelf ftill moderate^ placid, cheerful, and
lide^ in a profonnd Qoiet ; and fixed in his ftation. Bui
ff m mdjk Mam cmiaut he f99r\ how comes i$ thai he it
moMf Ttmej nmiheut eiiber Meat, Druih, C/eihes, or
ngf 1/ eafy Feels drenusd^ btnv comes it tbewy that
Melt henft their Alienatietss of Mind^ ^isd talk at
in a Fever eu other Peefk? It is one Thing, there*
cdvinr^f an lojory* and another Thing, the conceiving
of an Indignation for it; it it the Body in this QeSe that
fitfien, (which it the Fool't Part) bot not the Mind.
That Man it never the worfe Pilot that by foul Weather
it forced behind his Bufineft. When a Ship iprings a
Lok, we do not prefently qoarrel either with the Ma-
riners or with the Vcfiel. But fome to the Pump, others
into the Hold, to keep the Ship above Water. And if
we cannot abfolutely mafter it, we muft ftill work on ;
fbr it is dien a great Point gained, if we can but keep it
at a Buy*. Some Men are ftrangely tranfported at the
Infolence of the Porter that refnfes to let them into a
great Man's Houie. Thev forget, that the Door of
nPriibn is not more (Iridly guarded than that of a
Palace* He that has Buiinefs mofl pay for his Pa^ge,
and fweeten htm, as he would do a churlifli Cnr with a
Sop. That which is to be fold, is to be bought : He is
a weak Man that rates himfelf according' to the Civility
of a Slave. Let him have a Reverence for himself, and
then no Matter who defpi/^ him. What if he fliould
break his Staff, or cauie his Mailer to turn him away, or
to correfl him ? He that contends fuppoies an EpusB^i
and even when he has got the better of him, admits
that there was one. What if he fliould receive a Blow ?
Cmto (the greateft Man of this Age) did not only forgive
It, but forget it.' ^

It \9 not ^^(^ that this Or that is tolerable to a
wife M&Of ht^-fmlerahie. ^-^1/ we do not totaUy Juhdue
Ferttmet Forttttte overeogtos we* It h the Foundation of

EPISTLES. 35}.

a bappy Life for d Man to depend upon himfelf: But an
abibittte Tranquillity of Mind, and a Freedom from Er-
rora, mud be the Bufinefs of another World.

E P I S.TLE XXV.

A wife (ind a goad Man is a Proof againft all AccidinU

of Fat€.

TH E Book you promifed me it. now come to mv
Hand ; and I opened it with an Intent to read it
over at leifure. But when I was once io, I could not
lay it down agf^in,- tilM had gone through with it. At
prefeflt I fiiall only tell you, that I am exceedingly pleaf-
ed with the Choice of the Snbjeift : but I am transport-
ed with the Spirit and Gentlenefs of it. You (hall hear
farther from me apon a feeond Reading : and you need
not fear the Hearing of the Truth, for yom* Goodnefs
leaves a Man no Place for Flattery. I find you ftill to
be one and the fame Man, which is a great Matter, and
only proper to a wile Man ; for Fools are various : One
while thrifty, and grave; another while profufe, and
vain. Happy is the Man that fees himfelf right at iirfl,
and continues fo to the end. All Fopls, we fay, are
. Madmen, though they are not all of them in Bethlem.
We find fome at the Bar, fome upon the Bench, and
not a few even in the Senate itfelf. One Man's Folly is
fad, another's wanton ; and a Third is bufy, and imper-
tinent. A wife Man carries all his Treafure witbin him«
felf: What Fortune gives, (he may take: but be lives
• nothing at her Mercy. He (lands firm, and keeps hit
Ground againft all Misfortunes, without (b much as
dianging Countenance. He is irttt inviolable, uniba-
ken : Proof againft all Accidents : and not only invin-
dble, but inflexible. So long as be cannot lofe any
Tbing of his own, he never tkvubles himfelf for what is
another's. He is a Friend to Providence, ancf will not
murmur at any Thing that comes to pafs by God's Ap«
pointment. He is not only refolute, but generous, and
good-natured s and ready to lay down his Life in a

560 EPISTLES.

good Cade ; and for the paUic Safety^ to iacrifice Us
own. He does not fo much confider the Pleafure of
his Life as the Need that the World has of him : And
he is not fb nice neither, as to be weary of his Life,
while he may either ierve his Wife, or his Friends.
Nor is it alJ, that his Life is profitable to them ; but it
is Hicetvife delightful to-himfelf; and carries its own
Reward } for, what can be more comfortable, than to
be io dear to another^ as' for that very Reafon to be-
come dearer to himfelf ? if he lores a Child, he is pen-
iive; he is companionate to the iick; and only troa*
bled, when he iees Men \^allowing in Infamy and Vice.
Whereat on the other Side, yon (hall fee nothing bot
ReftieiTnefs ; one Man hankering after his Neighbour's
Wife ; another in Pain about his own; a third in Grief
far a Repulfe ; another as much out of Humonr for his
Succefs. If he lofes an Eftate, he parts with it as a
Thing that was only adventitious. Or if it was of his own
acquiring, he computes, the Poil^^fllon, and hoC$ : and
lays thus to himfelf* I (hall live as well afterward, as I
did before. Our Hpuies (fays he) may be burnt or
robbed ; our Lands taken from us : and we can call no«
thing our own, that is under the Dominion of Fortune.
It is a foolifii Avarice^ that retrains all Things to a Pro-
priety, and believes nothing to be a Man's own, that is
public. Whereas a wife Man judges nothing fo much
his own as that wherein Mankind is allowed a Share. '
It is not with the fileflings of Providence* as it is with a
Dole: where every Man receives fo much a^ Head; bot
every Man there has all. That which we eat, and ei- j
ther give or receive with the Hand, may be broken in- J
to Parts ; but Peace and Freedom of Mind are not to j
be divided- He that has firft call oiF the Empire of For- J
tune needs not fear that of great Men, for they are hot
Fortunes Hands; nor was any Man ever broken by '■
Adverliiy, that was not drfk bct«ayed by Profpeniy*
^,u <vchat ffgnijies Philo/lphy^ you wiH fay» ifthtre,6eA
Fate; if nxe be ^overmd by Fortune^ or /ome o'Vir-^ul/ng
Po*werF For Certain'ies art uncbangealle^ and there is
no providing againji Uncertainties^ If luhai I Jh^ll d9%
and re/olvCf be determined^ ^what ufe of PhiL/ophyf
Yq», great Ufc; for taking all this for granted, Pbilo:

EPISTLES, 36t

feply inilru£l9 and adtifes us to obey God, and tofol-
low him williagl/-; to oppofe Fortune refolutely, and to
bear all Accidents.

Fate is an irrevocable, and invincible^ and dn un* '
changeable Decree i a NeceflTity of all Things and A£l;f«
•ns, according to eternal Appointment. Like the Coarre
of a River, it moves forward without Contradiction, or
Delay, in an irrefiftible Flax, where one Wave pu(hes
on another* He knows little of God, that imagines it
may be controlled. There is no changing of the . Pur-
poie even of a wife Man : For he fees oeforehand wh^
will be the bed for the future. How much more un-
changeable then IS the Almighty, to whom all Futurity
is always prcfent f To ^what End then is it, if Fate be
wexorahU, to offer uf Prayers, and S<icrijices, any farther^
than to relieije the Scruples, and the Weaknefs of ficklp
Minds ? . My Anfwer is, Fif ft, That the Gods take no
Delight in the Sacrifices of Beafts, or in the Images 6f
Gold and Silver, but in a pious and obedient Will*
And fecondly. That by Prayers and Sacrifices, Dangers
and Afflidions may be fometimes removed ^ (bmetimes
leflened ; other whiles deferred :• And all this without
any Offence to the Power, or Ncceffity of Fate, There
are fome Things which Providence has left fb far \xt
Sufpence, that they feem to be (in a Manner) condi-'
tional ; in fuch Sort, that even appearing Evils may,
upon our Prayers and Supplications, be turned into'
Goods. Which is fb far from being againfl Fate, that
it is even a Fait of Fate itfelf.. You will iay, 7bat either
this JhaU come to pafs^ or not. If the former, it 'will be
the fame Thing if ijje do not fray : And if the other, ii
nVsil ie the fame Thing if ive do. To this I muft reply.
That die Propofition is falfe, for want of the middle
Exception betwixt the one, and the other. This will
be (fay 1) that is, if there fhall any Prayers interpofe in
the Cafe, But then do they obje^ on the other Side ;
that this verv Thing alfo is neceflary : For it is likewife
detenmned oy Fate, either that we (hall pray, or not.
What tf I fhoold now grant yon, that there is a Fate
alfo even in oar very Prayers ; a Determination that we
fhall pray ; and that therefore we fhall pray f It is de-
creed, that a Man ihall be eloquent; but^ upon Condi-

R

i6t SPISTLBS.

*

tioo^ that he toplv himfelf to L«tHars i Bf die Gone
Fate it is decreed, (oat h* £haU fo a^ply hmo^^ aid di«t
therefore he (hall learn. Such a ManiluiH. be licb, if he
betake bimrdf to Navigation : Bttt, dbe £une Fate that
promires him a great £ftate» afipeiots aI6> that be fliall
laih and therefore he puts to Sea* It is the fame Cair
ia Expiations ; a Man mail avoid Dan^ctv if he caii» bf
bis Prayers, avoid tbeThreatningaef diirtne Vei^eaiice:
But this is a Part of his Fate alfo« ihathe ihall fi» da, a»A
therefore he does it. Theie Arguments are made «fe
of, to prove, that there is nothing left to our Wtltj but
that we aie all over- ruled by FauJities. When we come
tp handle that Matter, we ihall fii9w the Confifl^ncy of
Free-will with Fate, having already made it appear,, tkae
nocwithflanding the certain Order of Fate, Judgmeots
may be averted by Prayers and SuppUcatiooa, and with-
out any Repugnance to Fate ; for t^ey are Part, even of
(be Law of Fate itfelf. Yoo will &y, perhsps^ JVkatt^
/ tin better for the Prufiy or the. Prophet ? fornjohttbier'h^
bids me/acnjicej or nOf 1 Zr> umdirthi Nectffity of doing, it.
Yes, in this I am the better for it, as he. is a Minifter of
Fate. We may as well fay, that it is Matter of Fate
that we are in Health ; and yet we areindeJbted for it to
the Phyfician ; becaufe the Benefit of that Fate is con-
veyed to us by bis Hand.

■i . l — M BI M Wi H I^ ' H I I l>l

EPISTLE XXVI.

Ail Things are prcductd cut_ef Cauft^^ and MatUr^
Of Providence. A. brave. J(An is. a^ Match fer

Fortune.

I Had YeHerdavbuttherOMiH^ofittoin^'relf: My
Dlikmper took up the Morniaig* ; the^fteniocni w»t
my owji. My firft' Trial was, bow. far I eouideadaps
Heading. Ani whan I dwl eould: bear that, I fettto^
Writing; aad pitched upon a.Sul^^b difficalt enoog^^
for it required great Attiatioir; biit.yet I waa reeved
not to be overcomes Swne of mji txmdM wnitigioy

i f I s T h M a. j«j

toM mti tfiait I did'flT ;. ind tobk me off; (b that froni
Wfiting,' wcpaffed iht'6 Difcourf? 5 and Inade yoa the
Jtiflgie Sf the Matter in q ueftiott. The Stoicks, you know,
will have all Things to be .produced out o{ Cau/cy and
MaiHr. Tie Matter is ^FT and p^ffive; fufceptible
oFiftiy Thingi but not csipablfeof dbihg any Thing itfelf.
TH^ Canft is tlitit Power that forms tfie Matter, this or
tfia^ Way, m pl^dfiife. Some Thing thene muft be, of
^fthr every Thiiig( is made ; arfd then there m aft be a
Wo*Dfclft ft) foi-Ai ev'e^y Thing, All Art is but an Imi-
tation of Nature : and that wMch } fpeak in general of
tlie Worfd, holds in the Gate of every patticular Perfon.
•jff's fik Example : The Matter of iStatue ii thb Wo6d,
the Stone, or die Metal ; the Stattt^fy ihapfes it, abd h
thte Ganfti 6f it. JriflotJe afB|ris four Caufes to every
Thing'. The inatirial; which ii (he ^itu qua n^n (or
that iK^ithdttt wWch it could not bfc.) Thc^c/V«/; as
^e Workman. The forntal; 2Cs that Which is fhamped
ilpbh a!l Operatlohsf, . And the fria! ; \<rHifch is the De*
lign of the wht>fe Work. No^ ta expfaiti this. The
^tUt Caiife of the Statue (fbt- tTie Pufrpafe) iis Ae Copper :
For it nevSrhstd be^ii liiJtde, iP there had not been fomc-
thing to trork trp&n. The fecohd ir the Artiflcer; for
if he teid not underft6od hh Art, it had never fucceeded;
The thifd Catfie is th(^ FOtth' ; for it could never pro-
perly hive been tfie Stable of ftich or fudt a Pcrfoti, iif
inch a* R^feniblatade YM itot been put npon it. Th6
fbdrti Caufe ii the Eifd 6f taking it, without which it
had- nc^dr been made : As- Money, if it weft made fot
&A&i~ Gfoiy, if the Wdrkrhah made it for his CrcJdit ;
or ftdigiofl, if he defigned the bidftowiri^ df it upon k
Temple. Platv adds a fifth, whTch He tms the Wa, oi
the ExferlTpIar, ^y which the Worknian driaws his Copy.
And he maker G od «y be full 6f thefe^ Figutes, v^hici.
he reprefcAts to bb inexhanftiWe, utithangdable, and
«h Aortal; Now upon the whole Mattel, give- us ytout
OpiiliOn; To arle it feemsi that hcfre- tire either tod
iWarfyGaties' affigned-, or too- few; atid' threy ntighd a&
Wcfll have-ifltrcfdirced- Tifn^ arid Place, as- fomeof tfefe
reft. Either clear* tHc 'Matter in qneflion ; dr deal" pl^ii'<^
ly, and ten us tHat you cannot : Aiid fb let' us return t<i
thofeC*ft$j irtieititt aH Mtnflcieid it ^gittdi tfcc r^

364 EPISTL^ES.

forming of our Lives, and 'the Regnlation of oor Maa«
jiers. For thefe Subcilties are but Time lofl ; let us
Search Cttrfelves in the fir^ Place, and afterward the
World.

Therb is no great Hurt in pafllng over thofe Things
^hich we are^never the better for when we know, and,
it is fo ordered by Providence^ that there is no great
Difficultv in iearning, or acquiring thofe Things which
jnay maxe us either, happier, or better. Befide that,
whatfoever is hurtful to us, we have drawn out of the
-very Bowels of the Earth.

Every Man knows without idling, that this wonder*
fttl Fabric of the Univerie is not without a Governor ;
and that a conibint Order cannot be the Work of Chance;
for the Parts wonld then fall foul one upon another*
T*be Motions of the Stars, and their Influences, are aded
by the Command -of an eternal Decree. It is by the
Didate of an Almighty Power, that the heavy Body of
the Ear^ hangs in Balance. Whence come the Revo-
lutions of the Seafons, and the Flux of Rivers ; the
wonderful Virtue of the fmalleil Seeds ? ( A^ an Oak to
riie froxn an Acoriu) To iay nothing of theie Things
that feem to be moft irregular and uncertain ; as Clouds,
Kain, Thunder, the Eruptions of Fire out of Mountains,
Earthquakes, and thofe tumultuary Motions in the lower
Region of the Ah-, which have their ordinate Caufes:
and fo have thofe Things too, which appear to us more
admirable^ becaufe lefs frequent* As fcalding Foun-
tains, and new lilands Harted out of the Sea : Or, what
ihail we fay of the ebbing and flowing of the Ocean,
the conflant Times and Meafures of the Tides, according
to the Changes of the Moon that influences moil Bodies?
But this needs not ; for, it is not that we doubt of Pro-
vidence, but complain of it. And it were a good Office
jto reconcile Mankind to the Gods, who are undoubted-
ly beft to the beft. It is againfl Nature that Good fhould
Jiurt .Good* A good Man is not only the Friend of
,God, 4)ttt the very Image, the Difciple, and the Imitator
of him, and the true Child of his heavenly Father. He
is true to himfelf; and adls with Conflancy and Refo-
lution. Scipio, by a crofs Wind, being forced into the
Power of hx% En^v^^^ caft himfelf upon the Point of

e" r I S T' L E* S. 3^^:

his Sword ; and, as the People were enqqiring, what;
was become of the General ; The General (fays Scipio)'
is very ivell^ and fo he expired'. Wharis it for a Mart
to fall, if we confider the Endi beyond which no Man
can fall ? We muft repair to Wifdom for Arms agaihH
Fortune ; for it were unreafonable to her to furniih-
Arms againft herfelf. A gallant Man is Fortune's Match. '
His Cbi^rage provokes^ and. defpifes thofe terrible Ap-
pearances, that would otherwife enflave us. A wifeMan^
h out of the Reach of Fortune, but not free from the
Malice of it ; and all Attempts upon him are no more
than Xerxes his Arrows ; they may darkeiv the Day, but
they cannot ftrikc the Sun, There is nothing fo holy,,
as to be privileged from Sacrilege. But, to ffrike, and'
not to wound, is Anger loft ; and he is invulnerable that'
is ftrQcky and not hurt. His Refolution is tried, the
Waves may da(h themfelves upon a Rock, but not break
it. Temples may be prophaned and dempliftied, but
the Deity ftilj remains untoi^hdd.

E P J S T L E XXVm

Simi Traditions of the Ancients concerning Thunder
and Lightning j 'imt,b the Author^s ConiemJ>laiion- '
thereupon.

THERE is no Qseftion, but that Providence has
given to Mortals the Tokens, or Forerunners of
Things to come ;.and by thofe Means, laid open, in fome
Meafure, the Decrees of Fate*: Only we take Notice of*
fome Things, without giving any Heed to others. There '
isfnot any Thing done,, according to the Coarfe of Na-
ture, which is not either the Caufe or the Sign of fome«
thing that follows :■ So that wherefoever there is Order,
there is Place for Predi^oa. Bat there is no Judgment-
to be given upon Accidents. . Now, though it is a very
hard Matter to arrive at the Foreknowledge of Things to*
come, and to predi£l particularly what (hall hereafter falL
ottt, upon a certain Knowledge of the Power and Influ*
CAces of the Stars : It is yet unqueftionable that theyi

3(6 EPISTLES..

have ■ Po^er, tbojigh w* cianot ^xmetlf C%y wliat it u.
In ihe SubjefiofThDiuierther? areieveral Opiniont, as

to the Signifies I ions of it. The Suictt hold, that becaufe
the Qlogd ig brokci)> thereiore the Bo/t h Ibqt, faetarJirf
u tBirnno/i Spuch.) Ojhers fQnjeilure, that the Oloud w
h[ot.'en to th^it vfry End, ihar it marf difiJiarge the
Thundcr-bolt, lefwring all in fijch Sort %o God, as if
ihe ^t^nllica[ion did net arife from ihe Thing done, but
as ihe'Thingltfelf wefcdonc for ;heSi^nificalion. lake :
But, whether the Signilicaiiori goe$ before, or follows, it
romes all lo the fame Point. There ar? three Sorts of
I.igh:iiing \ the fiiW. is lo pure ;nd fubtle, that it [lierce)
through whaifoever it encounter^ : The fecond (IiaHers
and breaks every Thing to Pieces : The other buro»,
either by bhOing, conltiming, inQ:iming, or difcolourjnSt
and the like. Some Lightnings »re moniiory, fome are
jnenacing, and others they fancy to be prooiifing. Theji
ailot tq Ja/iur three Sorts } thf fir^ is only moottory
and gentle, which he cajb of his oiyn Accoj-d : T''*'*'*
coad they make lo be an A^ of Connfel, as being done
iiy (he Voic and Advice of twelve Gods. This, they
{ay, does many Times Tome Gooil, hut not wiOiout fome
Mifchief too.' A\ ]fic IJeQfti^bii. Qf (ns Man may
prove the Caution of another. The tWrd is, the Refult
o( a ConncU of t^f fi^flCfi^r p«iHf '• f'9» WfefW PP"
cpcd gieat ^IiiS'>ie(s lip^ eHt'% W B'i*'*'^: ^'^ <!?"
in a great Folly to imagine that yufiiir ■woal^ ^^^ 'l'*
DifpTeafute upon Pillars, Trees, nay, npoh Templet
tliemfelves, and vet let ,the SacrUegiont go ^«e t Tft,
llrilte Sheep; andcbnWV'--"'^"'"^-*' " "
Oonfultation'br thf Gods ; a
QJ- JuAic'e to sqvern his owii
}Q (pacing thi Gu^ty, or in
No^', w&i'thqul(l.be'thel(!¥
dom of qur Forefathers jou'^id'
People i j Aw*i by ttie A
Power ; 'i|Dd tq frJeJhi't^in
by tlie Pear of an armeil an
their Mcad^- But how coi^
wliich eoines from jfiifiw hi
hartnl^fs ; and that ^hich I
Advice_( to bp dan^ro^s anij

E P 1 S T L B Si 3«/

h Ais, That all Kings (houM have Jup':ter\ Cxample,
^ ill good by themfek^s ; ant! wheo Severity is necef-
iiuy* peniiit that to be done by others : Befide that, as
Crimea are unequal, (b ihoukl alfo be th^ Pitniihments*
Neither did ihcy believe that Jtifitfir to be the Thundtnr^
whoTe Image was worihipped in x^Cttpitvl^ and in other
Places ; but intended it' for the Mttker and Governor of
the Uni*verfey by what Name foever we ihall call him.
Now, in truth, Jupittr does not ioimediately caft the
Lightning himfelf ; but leaves Natyra to her ordtnar^r
Method of Operation ; fo that what he does not immedi-
ately by him (elf, he doea yet caafe to be done : For»
whatfoever Nature does, God does. There may be
fomething gathered out of alt Things, that are either iaid»
ta done, that a Man may be the better for ; and he doeft
a greater Thing that mailers th« Fear of TKonder, than
he that difcovers the Reafon of it. We are furrounded
and befet with ill Accidents ; and ftnce we cannot avoid
the Stroke of them, let us provide ourfelvts honcftly to
bear them. But, how mui that be ? By the Contempt
of Death we do alfo coafiemn aU Things in the Way to
it ; as Woundsy Shipwrecks* the Fury 6f wild fieafts, or
any other Violettce whatibever 5 which, at the worft, can
bat part the Seal aad the Body. And we ha?e this for
our Comfort, though bar Livei are at the Mcccy of For**
tune, file has yet ao Power over the Daad.

How many are there that call for Death in the Diibeft
of their Hearts, evca for the very Fear of it? And,
this unadvifed Defile of Death, does in common a^
fed both the beft and the^worft of Men ; cmly with this
Diflfcrenccy the former defpiferaod the other are weary
of it.

It is a nautfeoiia Thing to kr^ die Body« and to be
lb many Years a d^ng fo many beaftij Things* over and
over. It is well, if in our Lives we can pleafe others ;
but whatever we do m our Deaths, let as be fure to
pleafe onrieWea* Disatk is a Thing which no Care can
avoid; no Felicity can tame ir; no Power overcome it*
Other Things are di^fed of by Chance, aad Fortone ^
but Death ueats all Men alike,

Ths prafperous mtiSt die^ 9$ wdl %- the anfortonate $
and methifilo the ver/ Defpaii of over^omiag our Fate^

R4

jM, E P I 5 T L E S.

fhoald infptre os with Comnge to encounter it : * for
there is no Refolation (a obiliDate* as that which arHe»
from Neccf&ty. It makes a Coward as bold as yuHta-
C^/ar, though upon diftrent Principles* We are all of
us referved for Death ; and, as Natore brings forth one
Generation ihe calls hack another. The whole Difpate
it about the Time, but no Body doubts abootthe Thio^
itfeir.

E PIS T LE XXVIIL

A Contemplation of Heaven and heavinfy Things*
0/ Gid', and of tbi Scuh

THERE is a great Difference betwixt Philofophy,
and other Arts ; and a greater yet, betwixt that.
Phiiofbphy itfelf, which is of Divine Contemplation, and
that which has a regard to. Things here below»^ It 19
much higher, and braver ; it takes a larger Scope ; and
beirrg unfatisfied with ' what it fees, it afpires to the
Knowledge of fomething that is greater and fairer,, and
which Nature has placed oat of our Xen. The one
only teaches us what is to be>done upon Earth ; the
other reveals to us that which aflually is done in Heaven :
The one difcuffes our Errors, and hoMs the Light to us,
by which we diftinguifli in the A^nhiguities of Life ; the
other furmounts that Darkne(s which we are wrapt up
in, aud carries us up to the Fountain of Light itfelf. And
then it is, that we are in a fpecial Manner to acknow->
ledge the infinite Grace and Bounty of the Nature of
Things ; when we fee it not only where it is public, and
cpmmon, but in the very Secrets pf it ; as being admit-
ted into the Cabinet of the Divinity itfeif. There it is
that we are taught to underftand what is the Matter of
the World, who is the Author ^nd Preferver of it. What
<^d^ himfelf is, and whether he be wholly intent npoa
Himfelf ; or at any Time deicends to confider Us,
Whether he has done his Work once for nil; or whether
he h^ftiHin Aaion: Whether he be a Fart of tht

EPISTLES* ^

WtrU J or i\tWorUit/il/: Whether he be zt Liierty,-
or no, to determine any Thing anew to-day, and to^
controul, or derogate from the Law of Fate. Whether
it be any Dimination of his Wifdom, or any Confeflion
of Error, to do and undo; -or to have made Things'
that were afterwards to be altered: For, the fame
Thingsmnft of NeeelTity dways pleafe him, who can'
never be pleaied, bat with that which is beih Now this^
is no leflbning, , either of his Liberty, or of his Power ^*
for he himfelf is his owR'Neceflity. Without the Be-*
ncfit, and the Comlbrt of thefe Thoughts, it had beew>
even as well for us never'to bave been born.^ For, to '
what End do we live ; is it 6nly to eat, .and to dnnk ?
To flufr up an infirm -and ftuid Carcafe, that t would-
peri(h without it ; and to live only a Servant to one that
is (ick ? To fear Death, to which we are all born ? Take
away this inefltmahle Goodr and Life itiblf is not worth
the Labour and the Care of it/ Oh ! how wretched,
how contemptible a Thing were Man, if he ihould not
advance himfelf above the State of human Affairs ! Sa
long as we ftruggle with our. Paflions, what is there in
this World that wrdo, wjiich is glorious f Nay, if we
advance onHehres fo far as to overcome them, it is but the
deftroying of fo many Monllers. And, have we not
then a mighty Exploit to value ourfelves upon, when we
have made our(elves a little more tolerable than the worfb
9f Men ? Is it not a wonderous Matter to brag, that we
are a jittle ftronger than a Man that is fick f Alas ! alas !
my Friend, there is a large Di&rence betwixt Strength*
and Health. Vou have not a wicked Mind, perhaps;;
you may have a clear- Brow; a Tongue that will not
flatter, and a iVngle Heart : You have not that Avarice
perchance, that refnfes to itfelf whatibever it takes from
other People; nor that Luxury, that fquanders away
Money Hiamefully, and yet more fliame^lly repairs in.
Nor that Ambition that leads you by unworthy Ways to »
Places of Pirefcrment. Thefe are only Negatives ; and
you have got nothing all this while. You will tell me, >
that you have elcaped many Things : But yoa have not
yet efcaped yourfeif. The Virtue that we recommend^
is high and illuftrious. Not that it is a Happiness in^it^^
mff to be free from Evil ; but becaufe it digniflei and

V

Sf^^ E P I f f I E ^.

enlarges die Idiod ; hK»o/e it Mp0|sa0 Spb i}HiKaDW<^

ledge of beavenly Tkio|^«» and n^aiie^ ii^jc^fiablQ ev^ik ofi.

GoaVedivg with Gbod^ htmWi ^ klll^n sycrii^f) afr cb^.

Ugbeft Pitch of humaA Felicifgr, wIha h (p^Kialofe a»d

enters into tiie Prixacifes q£ Nature, n^supplUig.aU tbat »

evil or valvar undber its Beet. Wto-%9<^glife ^at a,

Tranfport is it» fist a^Soul thatiji waac^ieg ampllfp the

Stan* to look down, aadlaMba^theFah^of Pflvces,.

und tbe.w]u>l6 Glebe of the £ar^ ^ ^1 !$§ TS^Ji^m^V

I do not fpeak of tha£ oal|i thesis ooevcrted bto Mor

ney and Plate, but of that ^fe.vslw/ehAr^vvediil^

Bowels of the £arth, to gratify Ae ieiatial^leCoWQ^.

nefs of Pofterity. Nor caii ve. eyv bring ^linfid^eA to*

the ahfolttte Contempt of luxjucipas. Orna^i^t^ tkk

Furniture, ftately Buildings, plqatfafit GardeofW aii4

Fountains ; till we have the. Wodd uader 9% ai|d tiU(

looking down from the- Heairens, and beholding that;

Spot of Ground we liKe upQo, th^ gnsat^r- Pai:t of ip

covered with the Sea; beiide a great Deal* of it deTolate^r

and either fcorched or froxen ; we iball fay thus.to.ou^.

felves. Ji ibis mi/erabli Pmni tht B^iU of QmUtUUn^

that is di'viz/ed among Jk fiuu^ Nations ^wifir. Fin, atiJi

SnuordF Heav rid'tculous an tin S^uttds^ 41 nj^ll as tbi,

Contefis of Mortaitf Sueb. a.Pritui mu/h notpafs fucb a^

Ri^ver ; nor amotber Princo ibefi Mountains} and, lobfi^

do not ibe very Pifiaius canton out tbiir. Poftt and ynrif

diBions too ? For, what does the Boftie of IVoops and

hsvolt^ amount to, more than the BuAneA of a Sw^rm.

of Ants upon a Mole-hill ? The Scene of all the impoiw

uni Adtions here below, where, both at Sea: and Land,

we tug and fcuifie for Dominion and. Wealth, is. bat a

wretched Point of £arth.; whereas the Dominies of the

Soul above, are boundlefs. This very Contemplation

gives us Force, Liberty, and Npurifhment.: The Mind

is there at Home :^ And it has this Argument of its Di«

vinity, that it takes Delight in what \% divine. It eon-

templates the RiAng and the Falling of the Stars, and tie

admirable Harmony of Order, even in their various Mo«

tiona : DifcuiSng and enquiring into every Thing, as pra«

perly appertaining unto itfelfT With how much Scom

does it then reflect upon the Narrowness (J[ its. former

Habitation i There it is, that it learna the.Bndof.itt

5

E P I.-S T L E S,: 3^1,

proper Bdngj. the Knowledge of God; And^ what b
God i An- inuMn/n and 4ak jHrngJu^ Pcwtr; grs4Uy nmth^
9ui Limits I. ami br d^i 'whatfieoftf t^^fis him* He
that applies \mSAi ta thia Stody^ tranfeends (he very
Lot and Conditkur o£ \i^ Morulitj^. That Alotighty
Power is all that we daice, aod. aJi that we do not fee. ,
Whatia tlie Diiierence betwutt the Divine Natore^ and
ourA^ Mao. is C02spoiuid«d; and) his \m!k Pant m hk
Mind : But» the. Alooi^tyi i»aU M^ad, aod all Reafoo^^ .
and. ]ietMp^ta]5.afe fb* blinds that the ASiooa of thi»
incompaihenilbl4( Fowe;^ f<^ excellent fos Beauty^ Con.-
ftanqr^^nd Dir^ofitiooii af« looked.. npoa- bygiany^MeR»
onlxas. fbrtuixoua and the Work of Chance ;< a^ fub-^
je& to alh the Tiunuits^of Thunder, Clauds amd^Teoi^
peiiti.thal zSkSu poor. Mortals. And tiuB ia not.Okily th»
Foll^. and. Madne^i o^ the common P^o^lef. bat the
Weakneis alio of thewiTeMem There are^ tba( arro-
gate to diemfelye& the Facultiea of Providence^ and
Reaibo ; and* ^ Skill of diipofingr as well other ^^fi*
pies. Afrair£»,a&tiheiF.-ouea:. And yet thefe ver]^ Men- ane
fo befocted, as to imagine the World onl)f to be gpv^rned
by an unadvifed Ralhnefs : As if Nature knew not
what ihe did. How profitable would it be for as, to
know the Truth of Things, and to allow them their due
Terms apd Meafurcs ? To inquire into the Power of
the^lmighty^ and the Method of his Workings % whe-
ther he made the Matter itfelf, or found it ready to hi»
Hand; and whether was firil» the Matter itfelf» or the
Ideaoi it? Whether or no he does what he pleafes;
and what may be the Reaibn of (b many (eeming f mper*
fedlions in his Operations? It it well faid of Arifiotli^
that we (hould handle divine Matters with ModeHy and
Reverence. When we enter into a Temple, or ap^
proach the Altar, we compofe our Looks and our Alli-
ens to all the Decencies of Humility and Refped : How^
much more then does it concern us, when we treat of
heavenly ThingSy to deal candidly ; and not to let one
Syllable pafs our Lips that may favour of Confidence,
Raftinefsy or Ignorance ? Truth lies deep, and muft be
fetched up at Leifure. How many Myfteries are there,
which God has placed out of our Sight ; andl which are
cnlyto be leached by Thought and Contcmplatioa !

R 6

37t B P I S T L E S.

The Notions of the Divinity are profound, and obfcure ;^
or elfe perhaps we fee them without anderftanding them.
Bat, the Divine Majefty b onl^ acceflible to the Mind.
Whit this is (without which nothing is) we are not able
to determine : And when we have gaeifed at fbme Sparks
<kf it, the greater Part Ke» yet concealed from as. How
many Creatures have we now in this Agc^ that never
were known to us before ! And how many will the next
Aee know» more than we do I And many yet will be
fHli referved for After-times. The very Rites of Reli-

fion are at this Day a Secret^ and unknown to many
'copIe» Nay, the very Thing that we moft eagerly
purfue, we are not yet arrived at : that is to fay, a Per-
ie6tioa in Wickedneis. Vice is iltll upon the Improve-
ment: Luxury, Immodefty^ and aproititoteDiflblotioii.
of Manners wUl find lliN new Matter to work npon..
Our Men are ^own effeminate in their Habits, their
Motions, and m their Ornaments, even to a Degree of:
Whorifiinefs. There is no Body minds Philofophy, but
for want of a Comedy perhaps, or in foul Weather, when *
there is nothing elfe to be done*

C bs- T-

P O. S T S C R I P T.:

BEFORE rtake my laff Leave of SenecaiT
will here difcharge my Confcience, as if'
r were upon my laH; Leave o£ the whole
World. I have been fo juft, both to the
Reader^ and to the Jutber, that I have neither
left out any Thing m the Original^ which I
tboughc the one might be the better for ; nor
atUtd any Thing of. my owtit to make the-
ether fare the wer/e. I have done in .this*
Volume of EpiftUs-, as a good Hulbanddoes
with his cold Meat \ they are only Hajh made
up of the Fragments that remained of the-
two former Paris: which I could not well
difpofe of into any o«her Form \ or fo pro-
perly publifh *inder any oih«r Title. Let
me not yet be undcrftoed to'impofe this Piece
upon the Public as an Abfirak of Seneca's
EpiJiJei, any more than I did the other, for
the AbftraSs of his Benefits and Happy Life.
It i> in Works uf this Nature, as it is in Cor'
dial ff^attrsy vne tafie all (he In^edieniSt with-

374 P O S T ^ C 11 I P T.

out being able to feparare this from that ;
but ftitl w« find the Virtue of evci7 Plant ia
every Drop. To return -to my Aliegory \
Books and Dijbes have tKis common Fan ;
there was never any one of either of them thu
pjedfed all PaUies. And, in truth, it is a
Thing as little to be •miflsed ftr^ as expeaed:
For, an univerfal Applaufe is at leaft two
Thirds of a Scandal. So that though I de-
liver up thefe Papas toibePrefs,, } invite
no Man to the Reding of them : And who-
foever reads and repents, it is his own Fault.
Tq cmcludt : Aa I made tbk Caarpa£aion
pnncipflUy lor'mjdeif;: fe k. agjnecs excetd-
in^ji welii with m^ Cbnflituuan % and jm^ if
aaqrMan.bds a. miad Mr. take-JPartwitfi me,
he. ha» free lta«^ and wckDmeL Btic In
faim cwtrs thta Caa&doratiQir afcmg with-, hinr,
^htt hrk itvu^ mmamnerijGtit^ timt pr^et
uptn ^Mtbtn Boiiy's'TabUj a/ai then pumit
viib his Diamn

t 37S- ]

AFTER-THOUGHT.

THFS Ab^nft hai now p^ ch? fifth Anpreffion,'
but the World ha* not been altogethM fokindofl
UtCj'to my Politics » to my Morals, And what is the
meaning oF it, but that we ll^ain an Age that will b«-
ter bear die Image of what People ought to dq, thanth«
Hiftory of what they do ; aijd that is tht Diffeyence.-
they put betwixt the one ^nd the other. We are not y£f
to takp an Eftimate of the intiinfic Value of' Truth,
Honefty and Rcafon, hy Fancy or Imagination ; as i^
the Standard of Virtue were to be accommodated Co th^'
varioui Changej, and ViciiStudes of Times, IhtereKi,;
and conteoding Parties : But fo it falls out that fomQ
Veritici.andfome good Offices, will take a falfe Colour,
better than others, and fet ofF an Impoflure with mora
Credit and Coantenance to the common People. Daily.
Experience tells- us, that our A-ffeftioot arp as liable to be,
vitiated as our Palates ; infomuch, that the moft- prolita-
bleof Meats, Drinks, or Remedies, loTe not only their
Bfie&, but their very Savonr, and £Jve us a loathing at.
one time, for tha( we longed for and took Delight in
«t another. But then we are toconfider, ihat the Hii--
tnour may come about again ; and that Writings and.
OpiniOM luve their Sesfoos too, and take their 'tuns

zi6 Ah after-thought;

as well as alt other changeable Things, under the Sanv-
So thati let Error^ Corrgiption, or Iniquity, be never fo^
ilrong, nerer fo popular; let the Ignoorauce of Things
neceilary to be known, be never fo dark and palp^^ler
we may yet afTure ourfelves, that however Truth and
Jaftice may faffer a temporal Eclipfe, they wilt yet at
the long Run, as certainly vindicate themielves^ and re-
cover their original Glory, as the fetting-^un fhalljife-
again.

When I fpeak of my Morals f let me not be under-
Aood to play the Plagiary, and to aiFume fhc Sub|e£fe'
Matter of ihh Work to myfdf ; for it is Seneca's, .
every Thought and Line of it : though it would be as-
hard to refer each Sentence, Text, and Precept, to the
very Place whence if was drawn, as to bring every
dillin€t Drop in a Caflc of Wine, to the particular Grape
from whence it was prefled. So that I have no .other
CtiSm to the Merit of this Compofition, than the put-
ting- of Things in Order, that I. found in Confafion^
and digeftin^ the loofe Minutes, and the broken Medita-
tions of that divine Heathen, into a Kind of Syllem of'
good Coimiels, and of good Manners. But how faith-
fully foeverl have dealt with my Author, in a juftand.
genuine Reprefentation of his Senie and Meaning, fo
have I, on the other Handy with no lefs Confcience and.
AiFedion, confulted the Benefit, the«£are,.and the Sa^
tufa^lion of the Englijb Reader, in the Plainnefs andt
Simplicity of the Stile, and in the Perfpicuity of the>
Method. And yet, after all this, there is feme what Hill.
wanting, methinks, toward the doing of a full Right to^
Sineca, to the World, and to -myfelf, and to the thorough-
j^iilhing of thb Piece : a Thing that I have had in my
Head long and often, and which I have as good a WilL
to profecute, even at .this Inflant, as ever , if 1 .could but
flatter myfelf s^ilih Day enough before me to go through-
with it. But betore 1 come^to the Point under delibe--
ration, it will do well, firft to take a View of -the true
State of the Matter in Hand, upon what Ground we-
iland at prefent. Secondly, to coniider from whence it
h that we are to take our Rife to it.; .andJb tOOpeAt
briefly* and by Degrees, into the Thing itfelf,.

Am APTER-THOUGHT. 37^

This Abftraft, I lay, is entirdy Seneca's ; anJthougl*
Bttlc more in the Bulk, than the third Part of the Origi-
ital ; it is, in efied, a Sammary of the whole Body of
his PhiIofi)phy concerning Manners, contra^ed into this
Epitome, without ei(her overcharging it with Things idle-
and fuperfiuous, or leaving out any Thing which I
thought might contribute to the Order and l)ignity oF
the Work. As to his School Queilions, and philofophical
Difquifitions upon the natural Reafon of Things ; I have
aHmofl totally cafl: them out, as Curiofities that hold little.
or no Intelligence with the Government of ourPalfions,
and the forming of our Lives, and as Matters, confe-
quehtly, that are altogether foreign to my Province. I.
have taken the Liberty alfo in many Cafes, where our
Author inculcates and enforces the fame Conceptions
over and over again in variety of Phrafe, to extract the.
Spirit of them ; and inflead of dreffing up the fame
Thought in feveral Shapes, to make ibm(i one adequate
Word or Sentence ferve for all. But when all is iaid.
that can be faid ; nay, and when all is done too that can.
be done, within theCompafs of an EHay of this Quality*
though never fo corre6t in the Kind, it is at the bed but
an Abftra£t ftill ; and a bare Abflra£l will never do the.
Buiinefs as it ought to be done.

. It is not one Jot derogatory to Senua*s Chara£ter tOv
obferve upon him, that he made it his Profeffion, rather
to give Lights and Hints to the World, than to write
Corpus^ s of Morality, and prefcribe Rules and Mea/ures
in a fet Coarie of Philofophy for the common Inftrudlionr
of Mankind : So that many of his Thoughts feem to.
fpring only like Sparks, upon a kind of Collifion, or a
ftriking of Fire, within himfelf, and with a very little
Dependence fometimes one upon another. What if
thofe incomparable Starts and Stridtures of his, that no
Tranflator can lay hold of, Ihall be yet allowed by the
common Voice of Mankind, to be as much fuperior to-
thofe Parts of him that will bear the Turning, as the
Faculties and Operations of the Soul are to the Fundti-
ons of the Body ? And no Way of conveying th^.
Benignity of thofe Influences to the World, but by a
Speculation upon them in Paraphrafe. In few Words^

978 Aa AFTER-THOUGHT.

Smica was a Man made (or Me4iiatioiu He was «&•
• donbtcdly a Mailer of choice Thoagfau; and ke employ-
ed the Vigour of tbem upon a moft lUufirioos Sabje^
Bfiide that thii ranging Homoux of bis (as Mr.
Hobhs expreil^s it] is accomfumied with io wonderful a
Felicity of liYely and pertinent RefledioDS. even in the
sooft ordioary Occurrences of Life ; and bis Applications
fi> hapmr al(Os that every Mao reads bina over again
within nimfelf, and feels, and confeiTes in his own Hearty
the Truth of his Do^rine* What can be done more
than this now in the whole Wor1d» toward eilablifhing
of a right Principle ? for there is no Teft of the Truth,
and Reaibn of Things* like that which ha& along with
it the A/lent of univerfal Nature. As he was 'much
given to Thinking, (b he wrote principally ibr thinking
Men ; the Periods that he lays n^oft Streis opoo» are only
fo many Detachments of one fele^ Thought from
another, and every fre(h Hint furniihes a new Text to
work upon. So that the reading of S<ne€a widKmt read-
ing uDon him, does but the one Half of our BuEnefs ;
for bis Innvepdoes are infinitely more ioArudive than his
Words at length, and there it no coming at him in thoft
Heights without a Parapbrafe*

It will be here objeded, that a Faraphrafe is bat the
Reading upon a Text^ or an arbitrary Defcant upon the
Original, at the WiU and Pleafureof the Interpreter : If,
we have all of 5#«/(a's that is good already,. tJiere is no
Place left for a Supplement ; and the Animadveriion will
be no more Seneca\ ajt Ia<l> thaaour Ccu»iaeau upon the
Word of God ^» holy Writ.

A PARAPHRAsa* it \% true, may be loofe> arbitrary,
and extravagant. And ib may ^y Th ng el&« that ever
was committed to Writing \ nay, the beS, and the mofk
neceffary of Duties. Faculties, and Things, may degeoe^
rate hy the Abufe of tbem» into A^ oC Sin, Shame»and
FoUy. Men may blafpheme iu thek Prayesa^ they may
po^fon one, another in their Cups» or in ^eir Porridge*
They may talk TceafiHk} and, in ihorti they may do a
MinjoQ of extravi^aot Thiogs in all Ca&s and Offices
^at any Man can imagine under the Sua* And wha(

is ti« ObjcAor 8 IiMwcii|«e UQw^ frpiu the PoflWSty pf
this Abufe^ ^ut th»t we «ffe a^ith/^r tp pray., npr tp e^t#
nor (o drinl^, n(y to ppen pur Monthly nor in fiQ^t t^^,
any T^i^g .elfej for F^ar pf ix)ie.rfi f^^k&i^^ ^^g^
r^? as the pther. In i^ (iij;giBft€id ftg^in^ tfe^i; ifee t^*;
pVafe ^ foreigo to the T^xj, ^n^ th^f tji,? 4ni«a4v?rtQy
ni^^a^ake the AvKhpr Tpeftl^ wh?it hjc pje^fes.. NpWi
tlvs Q^^ilipq is not tb? PpiJibiUty pf a v^iku ^ efnp^> 4
iiatt iSr aa unedifyiBg £xp«fi.uoa | but ;he ](^«p4» th^
Ufe, the M^9i?s» the Ppffibjlity, n^y, ai;id |h^ Eafin^fr of
f^TQifhing fi goqd oa^ ; . S^i^dle ^hat« the^e is ao {iurt aC
all, oa the oae Hand, to cos^tervail a vejj coja^efable;
Advantage to all Men pf Letter?* an^ prpooupw Ho-;
nefty, oq the other. A ihort or an idle CpmmeiU doea
only difgrace ^he Writ^er of it, while ijhc Repptatioa of;
thie Authpr ftanda . neverthelefs as firm as ever it^Ws:
but he that finiOies Seneca^s Nfiqi^tev with proper and^
reafonable Supplements, where he Soes not fpeak his
own Thoughts put sit UM^e, 4oe9 a ne(;e^ry Right both
to the De^d^ and (p t)ie.I4v4ng» ^d a cpmmox) Service,

He dp€§ aR^ht tp the D^ad. I.fty. wor^ Wam fh«»

on^ ; fo^ pver gijd a^pve th« Jt^ilice and Reipe^S; tW if/
due to ys Mei?ipry i it i^, 'm a, ftjr EqMity pf Co»ftr^o*:
tjog^ ^ PerfornianQe of the v^^y WiU of the P^>4* ^W*
sdl his Fragments! of I^fi;.tj ^a4 E(r9y» wew njaaif^ly
dj?flgoe4 ft>r other Popple. to meditate, read# a^4 fpecu*^
late Bppp ;. an4 ajfrwt Paft pf the Eqd.of th§m is loft
withouii f^ch ap |ip|)rQvc?aent : fe that the veiy M^iw,,
|ier of .Ms Writings Qall for a, Pwphr^fe ; a Paipapbyafc;
he cxpeftcid ; ^ndTa Pauraphr^fe is due tP him; a^d* i«:
^prU we.pwe a P^raphr^ft tp o.urfelvea top: for the.
meaning pf hi^ Hints and Minute^, dpes a^ well de*
ferv^ to be expounded^ ^ the Senfe ^nd E^ecgy of hia
Wqj;ds. >lay, aniwbqp all !? dpi>e, whQcyei: cpi^fidcra
hpw h^ djv^rfiiS^s, th^ fapiQ Tbiag Qvpr afli pxep ^i^ »:
change of Ph wTe ; hp.w ni^i^y fex^wl Wa^s he win4s aud.
mquRU his oni'Hf Tbpyg]|i.ts j, fiud bQ>» he Ubpvirs undqp
t|ic Difficulty Qf<?!e.firl«g even ^lU own Mwouig; Wh^-.
ever <:pn(id^rg^ tjy^, \ ifey^ will find S^j^^, uppa A«
i¥tK>lt W^ttf.j;, tQ be w ^, gocft( M^^r^. ^ Paraphrj|J|

3«o An AFTER-TirOUGHT.

upon himfelf. He gives you his firft Scnfe of Things^
and then he enlarges upon it, improves it, diilingui{hes»
cxponnds, dilates, ^r. and when he finds at lafl that he
cannot bring up the Force of his Words to the Purity
and Vigour of his Conception, fo as to extricate himfeir
in all refpeds to his own Satisfaaion, it is his Courfe-
commonly, to draw the Strefi of the Qaeflion to a Point,,
and there to let it reft ; as a Theme of Light thatftands-
effeaually recommended ta&rther Confideration. This^
muft not be taken as if Setteea could not fpeak his own.
Mind, as full and as home as any Man ; or as he left,
any Thing imperfeA, becaufe he could not finifh it him-
felf: But it was a Turn of Art in him, by breaking offT
with an (ffc. to create an ApfttUe in the Reader of pur-
fning the Hint \ over and above the flowing of Matter
ib faft upon him» that it was impoflible for his Words to
keep pace with his Thoughts..

Be this now /^ken with airReverence to his divine
Eflays upon Providence, Hapfy Life, Benefits, Anger,.
Clemency, Human Frailty, lit. where he (hews as mncK
of Skill m the Diftribution of his Matter, the Coogruity
and Proportion of the Parts, and the Harmony of thcL
whole in the Context, as he does of a natural Felicity,
JtJ adapting the Tendency and the Virtue of all his fen-
tentious Raptures to die Ufe of human Life. ' So that
he was evidently in PoflefliOn of both Faculdes, (of
J^ringing Gamit that is, and of flying it Homci. though*
he made Choice of exerciflng the one ofcner than the.
other. There is a. Vein in this Mixture thatruns through
all his Difcourfes, whether broken, or continued ; -albeit4
that there is no touching any Piece of his to Advantage,^
after-he has finiihed it : there is Room abundantly yet for.
Explication, and for Supplemejit in other Cafes, where
lAt fnaps ofl^ fliort with a Kind of Cattra dijultrantur ;^
and io leaves a Foundation for thofe to bulla, upon that*
ihall come after him. Now theie independent llioughts
are the Touches that I would o£Eer to a farther Improve-,
nent; and only here and there one of the moftele-'
vated, even of them too ; which will amount to na-
more in the Conclufion, than a DifcoaHe upon this or
•feat. Theme or Text, under what. Name or. TiticLthfij

Aa, AFTER-THOUGHT, 3W

Expofitor pleafes. I woold not however have the Com*
ment break in upon the Concept ; and I would fo fcru-*
puloufly confine it to the Bounds of Modefty and Con*
rciettce» as not to depart upon any Terms, either from .
the Intent of the Original^ or ^m the Rea(bn of the
Matter in qceftion : This Office performed, would raife '
another Seneca out of the Aflies of the former ; and
make, perhaps, a Manual of falutary Precepts, for the
ordering of oar Paflions, and for the Regulation of our
Lives, not inferior to any other whatibever, the divine
Oracles of holy Infpiration only excepted. For it would
reach all States of Men, all Conditipns of Fortune, all
DlfbreiTes of Body, all Perturbations of Mind ; and, in
fine, it would anfwer all the Ends that are worthy of am
h9neft Man's Care. It was once in my Head to digeft
the whole into fudi an AbllraA, as might at the fame
Time do the Ofice alfo of a Paraphrafe, both under one ;
but what with the Scruple, of either ailuming any of
Beneca^s Excellencies to myfelf, or of imputing any of
my WeaknefTes to Seneca, I compounded the Matter
thitts within myfelf : that though both would do well,
the doing of them ieparate and apart would be beft. Net
but that the Undertaker, I fear, will find well nigh as
much Difficulty to preferve his own Reputation in hia
Attempt, as tp do Right 'to the Author ; efpecially when
he is fure to have every Cofiee-houfe fit upon him likct
a Court of Juftice, and if he ihall but happen to fiumble
upon any of the iame Figures or JUuilrations over again^
if the Supplement ihall out have fo much as the leaft
Tindure of any Thine that is done already ; a common
Criminal, for the baieft Sort of wafhing, clipping, and
coining, Aiall find better Quarter* Here is the <3d Ab*
fira£t, they will cry, juggled into a new Paraphrafe, and
the fame Thing fobbed upon the World over again, only
under another Name : It will be hard to get clear c«
fuch a Cavil when It Ihall be darted, and it wUl be a very
eafy Thing to find out a plaufible Colour for the letting
of it afoot.

As to the Suppofal of difparaging an excellent Author
by a lewd Paraphrafe, it is as idle, as to imagine that a
canonical Text fliould fnfier for an heretical Interpreta*

I

lis All Arrtft-^Tftot/oH^.

t:of»r Atiifohfttt^fsfiKf^mhitt^MmoTtihitif;,
by M gcM mtf i« t C^ virltefe d^ fii^td PdivfC ]^oh^^

Bf&k ttoiSunft To^ic. N<6# WlfiM Cf^ Cotfiim-iit K^i
ft KiniiA«ft Ibr t%d T^xl, tHef^ it^tr h€ ht itif^H^ririj
Ofoii. 4- Piqud ^ HdiM^ifi'j^ tlM>«^ th^y itfodld both Iia)5 .

Pii to Wgm^ ir^ tite VcPf Mf (Ifive Th^Atr. Fdr wtraft
ait the Wfiikig, RettiftVfe* I>Hfe6uftiirg> CcrtifnWn^,
PifpvtiAg, Medfta^f*^, C<yri»pcAM^ilfn^, ^d Dftiding,
Aom tll« filir q«i«keiMn:^ fk^M <r tl^isr Almij^t]^ iitt6
ftfaibli^lr KatiMt 6$ fhfe v«¥y Mdhienl; y^Mth ^
this, I hy, but tlMT L^iftg of oiie Catotflc^ ^t attotfi^ri
Make it tke Czli i&ttt by the Beiiefil of that Light, t
if^d^a Treaftim. ffer* ]>» iltt- itjfeBmg of P^/i^* tt> j:^)^
p-gaff; ' tior aa/ {laAliTfilEiK Obtigatioif k>if atr A6f of
•owMWf HuModity* fi(ellf<^ wdHcs- bjr C6iMhmfi1carti<5n;
attd (Ml TlMlight kfrtdU^ anotlfer ftom GbiieVatfon tb
GeacracfoiK' fli n^iH^IIy a^ dii6 Spark begt^ts amo'iher,
Ivfaf m the Mavm i^ difpefed ftl* the Im^reffitm.

m

. This is cfo mom thatt t<5 (ayV that^rovi<fehce, for tiri
€kk>d of Mankind^ has ihad^'^ Iffeii net^ary to ond
•Hither. H« that'pats ^ godd Hfr^f frit6 rty Heady.ptn^
agOdd W'etd iiKO ^y Mo«th, .diiMs^^BIoielthea'd hasit
in'hycpit»g : Sio that thefr^'is aft bblig'at?Oti orf both Sides;
The T^rtb^ behdd^ t6 llkii thatreatis upbVl'if fbr im«
pKMrtng Jt ;. aftd the bttlsr had netef tfeckxght of tHe Stib«
p&pei\a^i if t»«^fbfd!^ hid nof bolted it. Whzt h
alithis iHAv; bM rdaf^nin^ apon f^kt Mottom:: atid i
j«*iili»gof^thcib twto^ Rol*iSi¥ d** P^ttlti^ both'in otte, fcr
X public Good ?' R<eia(bfi »'in)H^r^ ;- aiM wli«>re tvm Med
a«e'iiirh<J'riglitr-th%y mWl df'Netf^r a|;lH?rf upon thd
iiilf&Poyflt; atid-th* Thoughts^ of fcvc^aJMfeh in fuch ar
iia£bf'9JKsn mtRh Ohef; a^ a Coffflagratiori is oife Fire, by
hovv^ttitiiy fc^rfift Ha#^ fbet'ei- it waskindf^ : So iha-t
threre' i# n^feyirtg whkh was orie'«-ThfoGgHt, of whictt
theoiha<'i,*bto0th«f aM; in^erpdraited iiitfo otio cotaitiad
Stock. The great Nicety will lie in a judiciotJ*'G!i6id?
what to take, and what to leave ; where to begin, and
wlfitsreftO'^endv eikdhi h*ttft^ the? pii*eeife Medroiii Bdwixt
toa» itioch and too Ikde: vrithoot forting the Ddigtt
«£ the AitHeo,- op iKteMfifijjkig a^ tawdry Fteorilhci

An AFTER. THOUGHT. 383

by the bye, to disgrace the Dignity of the Matter. I
would not have (o mach as one Word inierted, that
might not become Seneca himfelf if he were now living
either to fpeak, or to approve. Once for all, fuch a
Reading upon Semui as I have here propounded upon
thefe Terms, and ander ihefe Conditions ; and in fuch
a. Manner too, as to uke the genuine Air and Figure of
his Mind, in its native Simphcity and Beauty : Such a
Paraphrafe, I iay, fuberadded by way of Supplement,
where the Abftrad falls (hort* would furni{h ns with
that which of all Things in the World we want the moil :
That is to fay, a pt rfedt and a lively Image of Human
Nature,

FINIS,

'^*

v

I